Sunday 03.14.10: BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB / THOUSAND DOZEN GLOVES @ echoplex

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club || Listen || Watch

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is set to release their fifth studio album, Beat The Devil’s Tattoo, on March 9th (US/Canada). This release signifies the band’s first full-length on their own Abstract Dragon label, in partnership with Vagrant Records and Co-Op Music Group. The band wrote and recorded most of the album at The Basement Studio in Philadelphia, PA – the same room where they wrote and recorded “Howl” as well as some work in their hometown Los Angeles. Beat The Devil’s Tattoo also marks the first album with drummer Leah Shapiro.

The trio is primed to embark on a North American headline tour upon release, kicking off February 26 in Sacramento and culminating at New York City’s Webster Hall on April 8, with a stop in Los Angeles on March 14th at The Echoplex.

with:
Thousand Dozen Gloves

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

8:00pm / $25 / 18+

Saturday 01.30.10: BOWERBIRDS / JULIE DOIRON @ echo (Early Show)

Bowerbirds || Listen || Watch

On Bowerbirds’ 2007 debut, Hymns For A Dark Horse, the coupled-up North Carolina duo spun folksy tunes and gypsy rags about the wonders of nature, which made sense—the record was made with singer Phil Moore and accordionist Beth Tacular living in an Airstream trailer in the woods, building themselves a cabin between band practices. Just as fittingly, Bowerbirds’ sophomore LP, Upper Air, is a more intimate affair that finds the pair well nestled in a spare-but-sound set of songs. Most noticeably, the “Go-Earth!” Pollyannaism (which was impressively tolerable the last time around) has been replaced by a flair for verbiage on par with Andrew Bird and Elvis Perkins, the two singers most conjured by Moore’s syllable-stretching and emotive coo. There’s still a line drawn in the dirt between the natural world and civilization, but that divide is explored through narrative on “House Of Diamonds,” and lines like, “You are free from the greed of your culture / you are free from the lust for the luster of the diamond houses in the city’s cluster.” And this isn’t Upper Air’s primary focus: Love is, and on songs like “Ghost Life,” stones, dunes, and oceans are metaphorical fodder used to soften the tougher parts of romantic entanglement. Bowerbirds benefit from a more-is-less dynamic musically, as well. Moore and Tacular break out organ, piano, autoharp, violin, and upright bass, among other instruments (not to mention a killer boy-girl harmony), but all in a successful effort to arrive at a simpler, more measured sound epitomized by the soulful jangler “Northern Lights” and the delicate surge of “Teeth.” Upper Air is a comely album through and through, and certainly one of this year’s high-water marks for the acoustically inclined. – The Onion AV Club

with:
Julie Doiron || Listen

6pm / $10 Advance, $12 day of show / All Ages

Wednesday 12.09.09: SPACELAND ON ICE with LIGHT FM / TIGERS CAN BITE YOU @ pershing square

Spaceland Productions & Echo present
Spaceland On Ice

with:
Light FM
Tigers Can Bite You

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

FMI: Downtown On Ice

7pm / FREE / all ages

Wednesday 12.02.09: SPACELAND ON ICE with SALT PETAL / BOLLWEEVIL @ pershing square

Spaceland Productions & Echo present
Spaceland On Ice

with:
Salt Petal
Bollweevil

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

FMI: Downtown On Ice

7pm / FREE / all ages

Thursday 12.10.09: DEADBOLT / THROW RAG / MOTOCHRIST / BLAGG DAHLIA (from the Dwarves – acoustic set) @ echo

Deadbolt || Listen

There are few names the conjure up as much fascination in the Psychobilly and Rockabilly music scene as that of the creepy dark San Diego act Deadbolt. The sound of Deadbolt doesn’t just hook, it grabs and clutches. Their signature coined sound Voodoobilly draws a lot from early Dick Dale surf rock, the Greasy Sleazy sounds of The Cramps, and the bombastic yet humorous early era of the late Man in Black Johnny Cash. The act formed in early 1988 with the sole idea of breaking out of the stigma of the Goth and Punk scene in San Diego by creating something truly creepy, funny, entertaining, and balls out rude. The signature breakout album that launched them into Psychobilly fame by many accounts was the heavy and gritty album VOODOO TRUCKER.

This album proves to be a breakout album for the “Scariest Band in the World” because it features some of the heaviest and most complex guitar work the act can muster. Most people overlook surf rock riffs, easily dismissed in the cacophony of keyboard centered club tracks. Deadbolt reveals it to be an altogether ripping different sound that grabs hold and refuses to let go. At the first onset, one cant help but get up and groove as R.A. Mclean and Harley Davidson pull headlong with rock solid time tested guitar work. If your interested in trying something outside of the usual Romantic flair with a biting gritty dark edge, these guys are the ticket. – Fangoria

with:
Throw Rag || Listen
Motochrist
Blagg Dahlia (from the Dwarves – Acoustic Set)

8pm / $10 / 18+

Saturday 12.26.09: FUNKY SOLE 9 YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH CUT CHEMIST @ echo

Sat DEC. 26th is the Funky Sole 9 year anniversary with very special guest CUT CHEMIST!

That’s right, to celebrate Funky Sole’s 9 years of bringin’ the real deal funk sounds we are happy to let ya know that

L.A. record master & dj supreme- CUT CHEMIST will be doing a very special one turntable,mixer & sampler set!

this will be a rare occasion where Funky Sole has an admission price but at only $5 it’s no question.

No worries though, Funky Sole will be Free again starting on jan 2nd 2010.

We hope to see you all there for another milestone in L.A. dj history!

+ FUNKY SOLE RESIDENTS
MUSIC MAN MILES (BREAKESTRA)

CLIFTON (UNDERGROUND)

@ The Echo
1822 sunset blvd
L.A, CA 90026

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / $5 til 1:30am / 21+

Sunday 12.13.09: EVANGELISTA / THRONES @ echoplex

Evangelista || Listen
Featuring Carla Bozulich

In the decade since the Geraldine Fibbers, Carla Bozulich’s myriad contributions have culminated in a treasure trove of gems and extraordinary oddities culled from brave reconnaissance into the deep sonic unknown. Evangelista, Bozulich’s first “gospel noise” record on Canadian label Constellation—featuring members of A Silver Mt. Zion and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, as well as instrumentalists Shahzad Ismaily and Nels Cline— impressed and dressed many year-end’s best lists for 2006. Two years later, Evangelista the album morphed into Evangelista the band with the commitment of bassist Tara Barnes and sonic landscaper Dominic Cramp, resulting in the much-lauded release Hello Voyager. Evangelista’s latest recording, Prince of Truth, takes this evolution one psychic step further, like a lucid trip into the darkest recesses of the unconscious mind—a realm free from the formal constraints of traditional compositional structure, comprised of surreal theta ruminations and random outbursts of kinetic energy. This harrowing work of ethereal beauty would be at home in a playlist featuring Rachel’s, Amber Asylum, and late SWANS/World of Skin. – LA Record

with:
Thrones

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

8pm / $10 advance, $12 Day of show / all ages

Friday 12.18.09: VERY BE CAREFUL / SERGIO MENDOZA Y LA ORKESTA @ echo

Very Be Careful || Listen

At first glance, Very Be Careful hardly lends itself to cross-generational accessibility. Its five Angelenos part ways with the music taste of most urbane thirtysomething musicians by playing a traditional form of Colombian folk music called vallenato. To the uninitiated, this music, the name of which literally translates to “born in the valley,” sounds like a sun-soaked, country cousin of Colombia’s popular dance music, cumbia. Since 1997, the group has independently released five albums, each filled mostly with cover songs, that channel the sound and texture of early vallenato recordings. Meanwhile, the quintet just finished Salad Buey, its sixth record and first of all original material. This output would make sense for traditional Colombian troubadours or nostalgic Latin Rock stars, but not really for a bunch of guys who are often mistaken for an indie-rock band. Yet, along the way, the group has made fans of artists like Joe Strummer and the Kronos Quartet.

Yet, considering that a fair amount of its audience does not understand Spanish, the attraction to VBC is clear—the beat is undeniable. Which perhaps explains why the proverbial dance floor accompanies each of the band’s performances, be it in a hotel basement or at a street festival, at a cramped club or an outdoor rock festival. Neither setting nor language can hinder Very Be Careful’s ability to set a sea of bodies and souls in motion. And really, what’s more universal than that? – Paste Magazine

with:
Sergio Mendoza Y La Orkesta

Plus DJs:
Patrick Miller
La Dukesa

Live Silkscreening by HIT + RUN

8:30pm / $10 / 18+

Wednesday 12.16.09: Origami Vinyl and Future Sounds Present LILOFEE (Record Release Party) / TWILIGHT SLEEP / ACID GIRLS / WAR TAPES @ echo

Lilofee || Listen (“Runaway”/ “In Flight” 7″ Record Release Party)

San Francisco based electro rock outfit, Lilofee, are set to release a 7” with Echo Park’s Origami Vinyl and Los Angeles based Future Sounds Records on December 1st. The 7” will feature the single, “Runaway” with a b-side, “In Flight”.

Lead track, “Runaway” hums like Kim Wilde’s “Kids In America” with a mix of Blondie’s rapid-fire lyrics in “Rapture” that fits nicely next to contemporaries like Santogold or MIA. “In Flight” is a dreamy melancholy song of a girl who slowly turns into a bird and flies away, set to a musical backdrop of glitchy, radiating magic.

Lilofee’s music is exactly like the dark German fairy tale it is named after, full of angst and love, dripping with affliction and laced with enchantment. Add to that a serious dance beat, a sprinkle of glitter and some remarkably catchy lyrics, and you have Lilofee.

with Special Guests:
Twilight Sleep
Acid Girls
War Tapes || Listen

Plus Origami Vinyl DJs all night!

8:30pm / FREE for 21+, $7 for under 21+ / 18+

Tuesday 12.15.09: Otik Records and The Echo present A Holiday Tribute To Phil Spector and Toy Drive with THE DAMSELLES / EVAN WAY / THE HI HOS / SWEET LITTLE THINGS plus special guests @ echo

The Damselles || watch

The Damselles are essentially a 1960’s style “girl group” supergroup composed of members of some of the east side’s favorite bands, such as Le Switch, The Breakups, and the Henry Clay People. – Radio Free Silverlake

with:
The Hi Hos
Evan Way (of Parson Red Heads)
Sweet Little Things
plus Special Guests

8pm / FREE with packaged toy, $5 without / All Ages

Thursday 12.17.09: DOWN AND DERBY ROLLER DISCO @ echoplex

The Los Angeles event is set apart from Down and Derby parties in other cities by its authentic 70s feel. The resident DJs don’t just spin popular tunes for which the era has become known—they reach into the depths of 70s music to bring partiers the obscure hits that may not be recognizable by most, but are truly indicative of the culture and lifestyle of the era.

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 participating through 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.

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

RSVP at www.downandderby.org

9pm / $5 with RSVP, $10 at the door / 21+

Tuesday 12.08.09: ISGOODMUSIC presents THE FRENCH SEMESTER / THE SPIRES / THE MONTHLIES / SEASONS @ echo

The French Semester || Listen

A sweet and smile-inducing blend of Guided By Voices’ ragged melodic charm with the hushed pop wits of the third Velvet Underground record, the French Semester’s Good Friends Only I Could See churns out one harmonious and guitar-jangled rock/pop gem after another—“Remembering Right Now” being the big winner—with each track’s layered loveliness capable of breaking your heart without so much as breaking a sweat. – Web In Front

with
The Spires
The Monthlies
Seasons

and more

8:30pm / $5 / 18+

Saturday 12.05.09: KiDROCKERS presents THE 88 / FLYING TOURBILLON ORCHESTRA @ echo (day show)

with:
The 88 || Listen || Watch
Flying Tourbillon Orchestra || Listen

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 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

Thursday 11.26.09: GOBBLE GOBBLE GIVE @ echo

It started with one person, Echo Park resident Barry Walker, who cooked and delivered Turkey Day meals to the homeless in his neighborhood… and now a group of friends in Echo Park have shown up to help cook and deliver meals for the past 10 years – the first year, 28 homeless were fed! The next year more showed up and over fifty meals went out. The following year, we reached the 100 mark and last year we were able to feed over 1,500 homeless in our neighborhood and leave them with t-shirts, beanies, shoes, sweaters, and tooth brush kits. Gobble Gobble Give is a community event and has become an incredible example of what a community can do to make change.

Gobble Gobble Give is looking for volunteers on every level who can give food, money, or clothing and those who can donate their time this upcoming Thanksgiving day (Nov 26th) by cooking, warming, packaging and delivering food to the homeless in Echo Park and Downtown LA. Every little bit helps those in need, so show some love and give a friend a reason to be thankful.

Click here to donate money to Gobble Gobble Give for supplies and food: http://www.gobblegobblegive.org/donate.php

Click here to donate your time on Thanksgiving Day:
http://www.gobblegobblegive.org/volunteer.php#

GGG is also taking DONATIONS IN ADVANCE of clothing (specifically, gently used sweaters, jackets, shirts, socks, and hats for men, women, children), blankets, and supplies for toiletry kits toothbrush/toothpaste, soap and shampoo. All clothing, supplies and toiletries can dropped off in advance this Saturday, Nov 21st and Sunday, Nov 22nd from 1-4 PM at Raven Spa (2910 Rowena Ave Los Angeles, CA 90039-2042 / ph: 323-644-0240)

Here’s the rundown on how THANKSGIVING DAY will work:

Everyone arrives at 10 a.m. SHARP Thanksgiving morning at The Echo night club in Echo Park. The address is 1822 Sunset Bl. 90026.

Everyone is asked to bring the following:
1. A DISH. “ALREADY HEATED” This is a potluck event. It can be as little as a side of vegetables or it can be three large bowls of your grandma’s famous “cranberry walnut stuffing”. We can always use Turkeys and main course items. Side dishes are great as well. Veggies, Veggies, Veggies. Mashed potatoes, yams, vegetables, greens, etc. Of course desserts are always awesome. If you are bringing a main dish like an entire turkey or ham etc. please email us at turkeycrew@gobblegobblegive.org and let us know so we can tabulate what we need as we get closer to the big day.

2. FIVE (5) SMALL TOILETRY KITS. that include a: toothbrush/toothpaste, soap and shampoo. You can get these items very inexpensively at $0.99 stores.

3. CLOTHING AND BLANKETS. Please bring any used blankets and/or gently used sweaters, jackets, shirts, socks, shoes, beanies/hats for men, women, children.

At 10:15 we begin a large “conveyor Belt” of food and with the help of everyone we put the meals together. We box them up together with care packages of tooth brushes, soap, clothes, etc..

At around 11: 00 a.m. the first vehicles begin to roll out. For those of you who have a car and want to drive you will be known as drivers. We will put a few people in your car with you and you will go out in two or three car teams. We hit the riverbeds, the alleys, the freeway overpasses. sometimes we discover small villages of people in dirt fields and empty lots. The vehicles return after delivering all the meals. We are always done by 1:00 p.m.

For More Info:
WEBSITE: http://www.gobblegobblegive.org
FACEBOOK PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/pages/gobblegobblegive/205205748055
FACEBOOK EVENT INVITE: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176434322998

Friday 12.04.09: DANCEiSM with VILLIANS / ROBOT LOVE / BEN OPRSTU / SCORPION BREATH / DJDT @ echoplex

with:
Villains
Robot Love [DANCEiSM]
Ben Oprstu [DANCEiSM]
Scorpion Breath [GUNS IN THE SUN]
DJDT [FMLY]

Photobooth by YoungAndSleek
roaming photos by Photos Operandi
Visuals by Dr. Strangeloop (Brainfeeder),
Body Paint, Glow in the Dark Bubbles, and an interactive mural

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

RSVP at www.danceism.com

9pm / $10 with RSVP, $15 without RSVP / 18+

Sunday 12.27.09: PART TIME PUNKS – SMITHS / MORRISSEY NITE with Guest DJ JOSE MALDONADO (The Sweet And Tender Hooligans)@ echo

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

resident dj Michael Stock spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Sunday 12.20.09: PART TIME PUNKS with SAVAGE REPUBLIC + SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY + THE BEATERS @ echo

with:
SAVAGE REPUBLIC
SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY
THE BEATERS

resident dj Michael Stock spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

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

Sunday 12.13.09: PART TIME PUNKS with THE SLITS / WEAVE! / PUNKY REGGAE DJS @ echo

with:
The Slits || Watch
Weave!

and:
PUNKY REGGAE DJs Boss Harmony & Roy Corduroy!

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

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

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

Thursday 02.11.10: Grand Ole Echo Presents JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE / JOE PUG / THE HI HOS @ echo

Justin Townes Earle || Watch || MP3

Earle’s sophomore record and third overall release, Midnight at the Movies, his best and most thorough work. It’s as if he extracted the emotional transparency and simplicity from his self-released EP, Yuma, and mixed that with the hints of rockabilly and studio finesse of his debut album, The Good Life. The result is a nearly flawless, organic LP. And he makes it all sound so easy on tracks like “They Killed John Henry” and “Halfway to Jackson,” which mainly revolve around some hurried acoustic finger plucking, with a couple of other non-invasive instruments like a harmonica or standup bass to round it all out. Even Earle’s unexpected take on the Replacements’ “Can’t Hardly Wait” sounds as if Paul Westerberg had written it for this very album. – Paste Magazine

with:
Joe Pug
The Hi Hos

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

Wednesday 12.02.09: BUZZBANDS Presents HELEN STELLAR / KAV / SQUARE ON SQUARE / NIGHTMARE AIR @ echo

Helen Stellar
This trio, long one of L.A.’s under-recognized bands, will play its first proper show in more than a year. They’ve been working on a follow-up to 2006’s “A Prayer to Myself,” which collected their three EPs and was released on Vinyl Films, the imprint of Andy Fischer and Cameron Crowe (The Helen Stellar tune “io (This Time Around)” appeared on the soundtrack to Crowe’s movie “Elizabethtown.”).

KAV
The latest project of Kav Sandhu — former guitarist and songwriter in the legendary Happy Mondays — KAV spent substantial time in L.A. this year recording an album and playing (and DJing) clubs. In March, KAV will release its latest batch of dirty, dancy psychedelia, the “Mr. Nice” EP, titled after the autobiography of Howard Marks and featuring Marks himself.His first U.S. release, “The Shake It Like You Hate It” EP, will also be out in early 2010.

Square on Square
The newest musical venture of songwriter Evan Slamka, SOS has made a big impression in the band’s early club outings with its soaring, anthemic rock songs. Slamka, of course, fronted Marjorie Faire, who made one excellent album for Capitol Records (2005’s “Self Help Serenade”) before the band became a victim of major-label shrinkage.

Nightmare Air
This new trio and its agitated (but somehow melodic) noise-rock is the brainchild of two members of Film School, guitarist Dave Dupuis and drummer James Smith. The band’s first EP is due Dec. 1.

FMI: BUZZBANDS.LA

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

Tuesday 12.01.09: SWORDS OF FATIMA / NEW ROME QUARTET / LIGHTNIN WOODCOCK @ echo

The Swords of Fatima

The Swords of Fatima began in the blink of an eye following a bellydancing DVD overdose by the legendary Buko Pan Guerra (bass player of Lily and The Ladies and The Black Cat Mafia, banjo player from Shadow in the Nightshade and Les Confidentes). Buko is also known as the “Bad Ass Bitch with a Banjo” (coined by the amazing Sean Carnage). Buko also plays banjo inSun Trash!

Amazed by the astounding gyrations of the one and only Sonia and the incredible drumming of Issam Houshan, she began crafting the beginings of what would become the Flamenco Bollywood Disco Punk sound the band would cultivate into the madness it has become today.

Enlisting the help of Nickei Scott, the Bollywood name for Nicki from Popdefect / Project K / The Shards, the two gestated the band’s sound for a month before turning it loose on the world. With the help of legendary Silver Lake Scenester hater Scott Taylor, the Twopergroup has released it’s first CD: Two Days Two Swords Walk Alone At Midnight on the known universe, and given their stripped down equipment and without the hindrances of pesky lead singers and bass players to get in the way… there’s nothing in the world to stop them!

With:
New Rome Quartet
Lightnin Woodcock

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 11.28.09: MUCHO WEDNESDAYS presents ILEGAL EN ESTYLE with PILAR DIAZ / WAIT.THINK.FAST. @ echoplex

with:
Pilar Diaz || Listen || Watch
Wait.Think.Fast. || Watch

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

FMI: Mucho Wednesday on Myspace

9pm / $12 / 18+

Friday 12.11.09: Footlong Development & Keistar Productions present FLAVORS – 1990’s Party with DJ SPINNA / J.ROCC / DJ SCRATCH @ Echoplex

FOOTLONG DEVELOPMENT & KEISTAR PRODUCTIONS Present

FLAVORS 1990′S PARTY- BEST OF HIP HOP & RnB

FLAVORS (Recapping The Music Of The 90’s Era…The Golden Years), is an event conceptualized by the innovative minds of KeiStar Productions. The first installment of FLAVORS dates back to 2002 and was celebrated with none other than the incomparable DJ SPINNA. With his extensive record collection and music knowledge DJ SPINNA creates havoc on the dance floor by spinning the unforgotten hits of 90’s Hip Hop, R&B, Dancehall and House Music with a seamless thematic mix.
KeiStar Productions & DJ SPINNA went on to conquer the New York City club scene with FLAVORS and have invited guest DJ’s such as QOOL Marv, Rich Medina and DJ Scratch (of EPMD) to accompany them.

This years event brings three of the world’s best club djs together, DJ Spinna, J.Rocc & DJ Scratch.

DJ SPINNA NYC (BBE,HighWaterMusic)
DJ Spinna is something of an anomaly in music. A humbling example of what it takes to truly succeed within the framework of multiple fields. A steadfast work ethic, an obsessively extensive vinyl library and the willingness to pursue the full extents of his roots (Funk, Soul and Jazz), foundation (Hip-Hop) and future (Electronic/Dance music) with no restraints. Regarded as one of the most versatile and talented producers/remixers/DJs in today’s musical arena. he has produced numerous tracks and remixes for notable artists such as Michael Jackson, De La Soul, Mary J. Blige, Mos Def, Eminem, George Michael & Stevie Wonder. Also performing/working along side Spike Lee, Q-Tip, Stevie Wonder and many other world talents.

J.ROCC LA (Stones Throw,Beat Junkies)
Hailed as the world’s best club DJ, J.ROCC continues to capture music enthusiasts around the globe. In 1992, Jason Jackson, internationally known as J.Rocc, launched his vision of forming a DJ crew comprised of talented musicians, by introducing to the world Southern California’s first turntable band – the Beat Junkies. A prized accomplishment enthusiastically received by worldwide audiences, J.Rocc continues to invent musical styles that display his creative expertise. Highly recognized for his funky showcases and original arrangements, J.Rocc has clearly distinguished his place in music history. In addition to numerous mixtapes and his own production for Stones Throw releases, J. Rocc has been the DJ for Madlib’s live shows since the early 2000’s, was the 3rd member of Jaylib (Madlib & J Dilla) during the group’s live events, and collaborated with Madlib on Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6: A Tribute to J Dilla.
J. Rocc is currently working on a solo album for Stones Throw.

DJ SCRATCH NYC (Scratchvision.com)
For over two decades, DJ Scratch has been everyone’s favorite DJ’s favorite DJ. Acknowledged as one of the greatest DJs of all time and in 2006, he was honored in The Source Magazine as a Hip Hop Icon. Scratch is the man who provided the flamboyance to EPMD, Q-Tip, Jay Z and P Diddy’s stage shows. Shortly after winning the New Music Seminar Battle for World Supremacy DJ Championship in 1988, he joined the RUN DMC “Run’s House World Tour.” Scratch’s film credits include “Juice”, “The Original 50 Cent”, “Backstage”, “Fly By Night”, “Rhyme & Reason” and Spike Lee’s controversial film “Bamboozled”. In addition, Coca Cola commissioned Scratch to produce & feature in their first DJ commercial, “3 DJs”. Having mastered the art of DJing, Scratch started to pursue his second love, producing. He has produced such hits as the New York Anthem “NY Shit” by Busta Rhymes, EPMD’s “Rampage”, LL Cool J’s “Ill Bomb”, 50 Cent’s “50 Shot Ya”, and a long list of Hip Hop Classics. Scratch’s accolades include the 3 Grammy nominations and over 40 Gold and Platinum Awards to his credit which makes DJ Scratch responsible for the sale of over 30 million albums to date.

Opening Set By
Dubs One (TurntableAddicts, Proper Audio)

@THE ECHOPLEX
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Limited $10 Presale: http://www.going.com/flavors2

9pm / Limited $10 presale, $15 at door / 21+

Saturday 12.05.09: BOOTIE LA with DJ FAROFF / ADRIAN / MYSTERIOUS D / DJ PAUL V. / R.A.I.D. @ echoplex

BOOTIE Holiday Party
LA’s monthly mashup bootleg party

Direct from BRAZIL, special guest:
DJ FAROFF
Spinning a special ALL-VIDEO mashup set

Spinning a “very special” all-Christmas mashup set from 10-11 PM:
ADRIAN

Resident Bootie mashup DJs:
MYSTERIOUS D
DJ PAUL V.

Holiday Midnight Mashup Show from resident dance crew:
R.A.I.D. (Random Acts of Irreverent Dance)

Drunkrockers.com Toy Drive
Bring toys to help benefit the kids at Ettie Lee Youth & Family Services

Wear a Santa hat, get the brand-new ‘A Very Bootie Christmas 2′ CD!

It’s the Bootie Holiday Party! Hailing from Brazil, Bootie is proud to present DJ Faroff, who over the past year has quickly turned into one of Bootie’s favorite DJs, producing bass-thumping, crowd-pleasing mashups with videos to boot! He’ll be doing a special ALL-VIDEO set at midnight, projecting mashup videos on the Echoplex’s giant screens!

From 10-11 PM, Adrian will be spinning a “very special” all-Christmas mashup set that is guaranteed to have you dancing! Resident dance crew R.A.I.D. (Random Acts of Irreverent Dance) will perform a special holiday-themed number for the Midnight Mashup Show, and anyone wearing a Santa hat will receive the brand-new “A Very Bootie Christmas 2″ CD! Plus, club photographers Drunkrockers.com are hosting a toy drive — bring a toy to help benefit the kids at Ettie Lee Youth & Family Services!

Launched in 2003, Bootie was the first club night in the United States dedicated solely to the burgeoning artform of the bootleg mashup — and is now the biggest mashup event in the world, with monthly parties in six cities on two continents. Mixing and matching every conceivable musical genre, era, and style into one big dance party where everyone feels welcome, Bootie provides the soundtrack for the A.D.D. generation.

Resident DJs Adrian, the Mysterious D, and Paul V. keep your brain guessing and body dancing with creative song combinations, celebrating — and satirizing — the many different forms of music. And free mashup CDs will be given away like candy!

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

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

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

Wednesday 12.30.09: 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 12.23.09: 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 12.16.09: 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 12.09.09: DUB CLUB presents JOHNNY CLARKE @ echoplex

This show is one that all of us Dub Club selectors are really excited about. If you have ever come to the Dub Club over the past 9 years,chances are pretty good that you heard a Johnny Clarke tune being spun. “Rock With Me” , King of the Arena” , Rockers Time” , “Bloood Dunza” , the list of hits is endless. As they say on the excellent Johnny Clarke fan website http://raresounds.co.uk/: During the years 1975 – 1981, Bob Marley and the Wailers gained their huge international audience and three singers ruled the Jamaican Dancehall – Dennis Brown, Gregory Issacs and Johnny Clarke. Today, Johnny Clarke is still the least known internationally.
He is a giant in Jamaican Music and we are thrilled to finally have him at the Dub Club.

Check out the raresounds website listed above for more info about Johnny Clarke.

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

Spinning the best in classic reggae, dub and dancehall

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

9pm / $10 / 21+

Wednesday 12.02.09: 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 12.03.09: LA Record presents MT. ST. HELENS VIETNAM BAND / DIRT DRESS / SPIRIT VINE / ALLAH LAS

Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band || Watch || MP3

On Saturday night, Seattle indie rockers Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band captured a rare piece of rock history by becoming the first band in the continental U.S. to ever play on an active volcano. The fact that the quintet played the volcano in which they take their name, Washington State’s Mt. St. Helens, made the performance even more unusual as they treated fans/hikers/mountaineers/park rangers to an hour-long set of brand new tracks and favorites from their self-titled debut.

After signing a few autographs for devoted fans, lead singer Benjamin Verdoes and Co. didn’t waste anytime jumping into crowd favorite “Who’s Asking,” the first song off of their celebrated album from earlier this year. The band’s 14-year-old drummer, Marshall Verdoes, was notably relaxed and didn’t seem the least bit rattled by the mountainous challenge. As his older brother stated in between songs: “Who knew that when Marshall came up with this crazy band name when he was 11, one day we’d actually get a chance to play here?”

As the two Verdoes brothers kept the groove steady, fellow bandmates Jared Price (bass), Traci Eggleston (keys/vocals), and Matt Dammer (guitar/moog) handled the more quirky, esoteric sounds that give MHSVB their signature feel. After finishing the guitar heavy “Masquerade,” Eggleston (who is married to Benjamin) announced to the crowd that the group would be playing two new songs: “George Clark,” an upbeat rocker with a seemingly looping guitar riff and the more delicate “At Night.” Appropriately for the setting, the latter began with the sound of crickets, bugs, and other insect noises, before Price used a rewired telephone receiver as a microphone. – Spin

with:
Dirt Dress
Spirit Vine || Listen
Allah Las

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

Tuesday 11.17.09: WATTS ENSEMBLE / THE BLASTING COMPANY / DANTE VS ZOMBIES @ echo

Watts Ensemble || Listen

Drummer Brian Watson supposedly launched the Watts Ensemble on a dare, waging whether he could not only write cohesive music for 10 or so players, but to also recruit and retain them. In a city as diverse as L.A., Watson knew they were out there, but the real challenge was where to find them. Months of Craigslist ads (seeking those mutually interested in Stravinsky, Devo and the Coltranes), friend-to-friend references and music store leads steadily built an amalgamated mutt of an outfit, but a smart and sassy one too, and tight as a drum – even though, at times, the Charles Mingus influence is overshadowing. Mostly it’s a blast to see and hear a live, knowledgeable ensemble like this on stage. At times the sounds are low – meandering flutes and winds, soothing-to-nonexistent strings, and just one waning refrain the only connection to the larger piece of work. Then, just like that, the bottom and bass rattle back in, motivated by Mingus’ Pithecanthropus Erectus stumble and inspired by the cinematic hues of Taxi Driver’s nighttime drives. – LA Weekly

with:
The Blasting Company || Listen
Dante Vs Zombies

9pm / FREE / 21+

Thursday 01.28.09: FRUIT BATS / CITAY / EXTRA CLASSIC / DJ TURQUOISE WISDOM @ echoplex

Fruit Bats || Listen || Watch

Fruit Bats were greeted by a very house when they hit the stage. They opened with a song from 2005’s Spelled in Bones, “Canyon Girl”, and then played a few newer songs, but not before bandleader Eric Johnson asked for permission first, saying “We’ll play some old shit, I promise” and joking that they would “play all four albums in a row, plus a mystery album of your choosing.” After a solid set of newer songs (some of which they also performed during KEXP’s Bay Area broadcast), they pulled out a few revamped classics, such as “Seaweed” (with added harmonica) and “The Little Acorn.” They followed up with a few more new songs that were equally impressive. Behind Eric Johnson’s distinctive voice, a change in style was prevalent in the new music. Although he never gives up the band’s signature pop and twang elements, the songs were a bit more sprawling and mined a similar vein of classic rock as Grand Archives and before that Neil Young. Fruit Bats finished with a couple of classics, including “The Rainbow Sign” and “When U Love Somebody.” It was a great show, and we’re looking forward to the next time Fruit Bats hit town… and to the new album we hope to see later this year! – KEXP

with:
Citay || Listen
Extra Classic
DJ Turquoise Wisdom

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

8pm / $13 advance, $15 day of show / all ages

Friday 12.18.09: CLUB UNDERGROUND AND HANG THE DJS HOLIDAY BENEFIT & BLOWOUT @ echoplex

Hang The Dj’s & Club Undergound X-Mas Benefit Party at the Echoplex!!!

Doll & The Kicks (just fresh off the Morrissey Tour!)
BJ Panda Bear
Dirty Dave
Spirit Vine
Tune In Tokyo DJs
Underground DJs
Knyfeprty

*A portion of the proceeds go to The Good Shephard Center For Homeless Woman & Chidren*
with resident DJs spinning the best in Brit / Indie / Soul / Twee / Madchester / Punk / Glam

FMI: ClubUnderground.net

9pm / $5 before 11pm, $8 after / 18+

Friday 12.11.09: CLUB UNDERGROUND with THE CAPSHUNS / BIXBY KNOLLS @ echo

The Capshuns
Bixby Knolls

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

FMI: ClubUnderground.net

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

Saturday 12.12.09: REPEAT OFFENDER – HIT+RUN 4-YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY with THE GASLAMP KILLER / KUTMAH / NOBODY / ABCNT / FARMER DAVE SCHER / ZACKEY FORCE FUNK / CRIME and More @ echoplex

REPEAT OFFENDER
HIT+RUN 4-YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY

with djs
THE GASLAMP KILLER
KUTMAH
NOBODY
ABCNT
FARMER DAVE SCHER
& more

and live performances by
ZACKEY FORCE FUNK
CRIME + surprise guests

with live screenprinting by
HIT+RUN

plus photobooth by
POLITE IN PUBLIC

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

9pm / $10, FREE admission with a past Hit+Run shirt / 21+

Monday 12.21.09: Manimal Vinyl Residency – MOONRATS / VOICESVOICES / SISTER CRAYON / CORRIDOR @ echo

Moonrats
VoicesVoices
Sister Crayon
Corridor (w/ members of Indian Jewelry)

plus:
DJ Manimal and films all night

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 12.19.09: FUNKY SOLE MEETS PHILLY’S HOT PEAS AND BUTTA @ echo

FUNKY SOLE MEETS PHILLY’S HOT PEAS & BUTTA PARTY SAT DEC 19TH!

KON (of Kon & Amir)

SKEME RICHARDS || Watch (ROCKSTEADY CREW)

MUSIC MAN MILES ( BREAKESTRA/ROOTODWN)

CLIFTON aka Soft touch (UNDERGROUND)

From the east to the west there are a few djs who cannot help but keep those old raw funky soul sounds on REAL VINYL records alive & in the mix.
This Saturday that’s just what’s going down on the east side of L.A. town!

The 9 year running Funky Sole party is meeting up with Philadelphia’s Hot Peas & Butta party for one night of “i don’t know what that song is but it’s sick”.

Funky Sole’s Music Man Miles & Clifton will be going record for record with Philly’s legendary funk djs Skeme Richards & Kon (of Kon & amir’s on track compilations).funk for the folks & Free @ Echo!

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 12.12.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 12.05.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 11.28.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 11.21.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 11.14.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 11.10.09: Aquarium Drunkard presents BISHOP ALLEN / THROW ME THE STATUE / DARWIN DEEZ @ echoplex

Bishop Allen || Listen || Watch

Bishop Allen has broken through to a larger audience than any Brooklyn DIY power-pop duo could be expected to, first by landing the twinkly song “Click, Click, Click, Click” in a camera commercial, then by belting out the ferociously catchy “Middle Management” in the movie Nick And Norah’s Infinite Playlist. The band’s third LP, Grrr…, is designed to appeal to fans of those two semi-hits; it’s a record full of explosive percussion, scratchy guitars, and fragments of melody that bandleaders Justin Rice and Christian Rudder repeat until they wear down listeners’ resistance. Much of Grrr… ventures pretty far into the cutesy—as the album’s title suggests—but more often than not, Rice and Rudder’s strong rock-sense gives Bishop Allen’s songs enough kick to overcome their cloying elements. And the pair have a knack for super-charged ditties like “Oklahoma,” “Rooftop Brawl,” and “Cue The Elephants” that can make any given three minutes of the day feel a lot happier. -A.V. Club

with:
Throw Me The Statue
Darwin Deez

ENTER THROUGH THE ECHO AT 1822 SUNSET BLVD!!
Entrance Fee gets you into both shows at the Echo/Echoplex!!

8pm / $8 / all ages

Thursday 12.17.09: KXLU & Filter present FOOL’S GOLD / THE ENTRANCE BAND / TEARIST / DJ JOSH KLINGHOFFER @ echo

Fool’s Gold || Watch

Fool’s Gold’s repeat-ready single “Surprise Hotel” is a gloriously busy bit of life-affirming Afro-pop that takes no issue with demanding that you take it for a beachside bike ride. The band rotates around Luke Top and Lewis Pesacov and also enlists friends and colleagues that include members of Foreign Born and Glasser. On a self-titled debut brimming with them, “Surprise Hotel” is a whirling dervish of a cut delivered with charm, grace, and maximum two-stepability. Light yet bracing polyrhythms anchor an addictive little high-register guitar line that loops and wiggles on and off the beaten path, perfectly coupled with Afro-funk bass stylings and buttery bilingual coos (yes, Top sings in English and Hebrew). With music this immersed in wide-ranging global and regional influence, you’d fear Fool’s Gold’s music might come over as empty pastiche, but no worries. Worldly and warm without being cloying, “Surprise Hotel” more than surprises: it prevails. -Pitchfork

with:
The Entrance Band || Listen
Tearist
DJ Josh Klinghoffer

8:30pm / $10 / 18+

Tuesday 12.01.09: Filter presents THE VIC CHESNUTT BAND with GUY PICCIOTTO (FUGAZI) and MEMBERS OF THEE SILVER MT. ZION, GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR and WITCHIES / WARPAINT / LIZ DURRETT @ echoplex

Vic Chesnutt Band || Listen || MP3
featuring Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto, members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Silver Mt. Zion

As on 2007’s North Star Deserter, Chesnutt is here joined by members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra, as well as Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto. Together they build a sound that walks a line between country-folk, Southern soul, and post-rock, which works because the music’s uncertainty about its identity often mirrors Chesnutt’s own doubt. Opener “Coward” deals in dread and aggression with its crawling tempo and doom-laden, harmonized guitar outbursts.

There are a couple of welcome leavening moments– the bright organ and Leslie cabinet guitar of “Concord Country Jubilee” chief among them– but At the Cut is foremost a dark album, and about as far tonally and sonically as Chesnutt has been from 2003’s highly polished Silver Lake. The restraint of the musicians involved leaves Chesnutt’s fragility at the center of the music and lends the album an air of refinement and wisdom that could have easily been drowned out by guitarists more eager to call attention to themselves. – Pitchfork

with:
Warpaint
Liz Durrett || Listen

7:30pm / $13adv; $15dos / all ages

Monday 11.16.09: Myspace Records presents HELLO ASTRONAUT / TAYLOR WARREN / PERFECT LIKE ME / AERODRONE @ echo

Hello Astronaut

with:
Taylor Warren
Perfect Like Me
Aerodrone

8pm / FREE / all ages

Thursday 11.19.09: DOWN N DERBY ROLLER DISCO @ echoplex

We are happy to welcome back our resident skate guards, MIKE BEE & STEVE 1DER, to lace you with that crazy juice.

We also have a very special guest, a D&D veteran from the east coast, DJ Royale, from Philly. Now Im sure Royale is devestated by the Phillies lose so this is gonna be a good opportunity to put that lose, and the cold weather, behind him and backwards skate!!!

The Los Angeles event is set apart from Down and Derby parties in other cities by its authentic 70s feel. The resident DJs don’t just spin popular tunes for which the era has become known—they reach into the depths of 70s music to bring partiers the obscure hits that may not be recognizable by most, but are truly indicative of the culture and lifestyle of the era.

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 participating through 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.

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

RSVP at www.downandderby.org

9pm / $5 with RSVP, $10 at the door / 21+

Saturday 11.14.09: Echo and Stories Books & Café present AMIRI BARAKA / NYLAEE @ echo

Amiri Baraka

Amiri Baraka, born in 1934, in Newark, New Jersey, USA, is the author of over 40 books of essays, poems, drama, and music history and criticism, a poet icon and revolutionary political activist who has recited poetry and lectured on cultural and political issues extensively in the USA, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe.

With influences on his work ranging from musical orishas such as Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, and Sun Ra to the Cuban Revolution, Malcolm X and world revolutionary movements, Baraka is renowned as the founder of the Black Arts Movement in Harlem in the 1960s that became, though short-lived, the virtual blueprint for a new American theater aesthetics. The movement and his published and performance work, such as the signature study on African-American music, Blues People (1963) and the play Dutchman (1963) practically seeded “the cultural corollary to black nationalism” of that revolutionary American milieu.

Other titles range from Selected Poetry of Amiri Baraka/LeRoi Jones (1979), to The Music (1987), a fascinating collection of poems and monographs on Jazz and Blues authored by Baraka and his wife and poet Amina, and his boldly sortied essays, The Essence of Reparations (2003).

He has been the subject of numerous documentary films including Mario Van Peeble’s Poetic License for The Sundance Channel and St. Clair Bourne’s In Motion: Amiri Baraka. He has also appeared in dozens of films including, most recently, M.K. Asante, Jr’s award-winning documentary The Black Candle.

with:
NYLAEE

5pm / $10 / All Ages

Friday 11.27.09: Aquarium Drunkard & Club Underground present JAPANDROIDS / SURFER BLOOD @ echo

Japandroids || Listen || MP3

what makes Post-Nothing such a thrill is the manner in which Japandroids hold absolutely nothing back. As contagious as any of the lyrics, melodies, riffs, or drum fills are, their energy and lack of self-consciousness is every bit as equally lovable. Opening mission statement “The Boys Are Leaving Town” could be seen as a goof on Thin Lizzy, but the response, “Will we find our way back home?”, is delivered with such conviction that between those two lines, “Boys” displays a palpable desperation. Six tracks later, the question is still unresolved– amidst the cyclical thrum of “Sovereignty”, they observe: “It’s raining, OH-OH! in Vancouver/ But I don’t give a fuck/ ‘Cause I’m far from home tonight.”

Where it all comes together best is “Young Hearts Spark Fire”. Almost a flipside to LCD Soundsystem’s “All My Friends”, it’s thematically similar, trading wistful reminiscence for drunken defiance and pulsing electro for chaotic garage rock. The five minutes go by in a blur, and amidst the guitar heroics and cymbal-bashing, King lets his guard down on Post-Nothing’s key line– “We used to dream/ Now we worry about dying/ I don’t want to worry about dying.” It would be so easy to view this sort of musical and lyrical directness with suspicion, but “Young Hearts” is life-affirming stuff– if only it affirms that, even in these times, life doesn’t need to be as complicated as we tend to make it. – Pitchfork

with:
Surfer Blood

8pm / $10 / 18+

Wednesday 11.18.09: Web In Front & KROQ Present RADARS TO THE SKY / LE SWITCH / MARVELOUS TOY / THE HAPPY CASUALTIES @ echo

Radars To The Sky || Watch

In a set also peppered with such ‘classic’ material (some of which will reappear on the new album) as “I Might,” “Zurich,” and “Victoria,” Radars offered a glimpse into their new direction as a band since the departure of guitarist Seamus Simpson in January (Simpson is now working with the excellent Thailand)—dense, insular and bruising, with just as many nods towards complex indie-rock as there were towards hooky new wave.

Opener “Sharpen Your Teeth” began as a dreamy, slow-motion metallic clash of guitars and keys, which unfurled into the sci-fi bounce of the suite-like, multi-part jangle of “As the Nurses Scurry.” A crucial tension in the music of Radars to the Sky is the tug-of-war between epic, long-form art-rock and crushing, melodic indie; with those two opening songs, the band seemed to be signaling a move in the direction of the former. However, they can still detonate a catchy rock ‘n roll tune when the inclination strikes—“The Apple Never Falls” was all slash and burn guitar kinetics, while “Sergeant,” was a series of stop-start grooves and crunching, anthemic hooks, as well as one of the evening’s strongest tunes.

The highlight of the set, though, may have been the closer, “1624.” A driving song of divebomb guitar swoons and rhythmic surges wrapped within a rumbling new wave dirge, “1624” exemplifies the sound of Radars to the Sky as it is today—a band far more interested in grooves, texture and detail, or as Mouse of Classical Geek Theatre put it, they’re playing “indie rock for the indie rocker.” – Web In Front

with:
Le Switch || Listen
Marvelous Toy || Listen
The Happy Casualties

8:30pm / $7 / 18+

Thursday 11.19.09: DAM-FUNK WITH MASTER BLAZTER / KYLE HALL / HAWTHORNE HEADHUNTERS WITH COULTRAIN / JIMI JAMES / FUNKMOSPHERE DJS @ echo

DaM-FunK || Listen (LIVE)
with Master Blazter

As an artist, producer and DJ, Dam (pronounced “dame”) might have resurrected the genre of boogie, which got big in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as electronic instruments and disco smoothed out funk’s grit, but his songs are also influenced by Chicago house, experimental electronic music and the slow roll of ’90s gangsta rap.

The 38-year-old’s compositions are full of blown-out synthesizers, thwapping drum machines and vocodered vocals, all wrapped in a thick purple fog. It’s the kind of stuff that would blare from the stereo of a homemade spaceship. – LA Times

with:
DaM-FunK || Listen (DJ set)
Kyle Hall
Hawthorne Headhunters with Coultrain
Jimi James

Plus Funkmosphere DJ’s:
Billy Goods
DJ Randy Watson
Laroj

8pm / $10 / 18+

Wednesday 12.09.09: Winston Calling: A Rock & Comedy Benefit featuring TIM AND ERIC / BOB ODENKIRK / BRIAN POSEHN / DAVE LOVERING @ ECHO

for Baby Winston Bertrand hosted by Black Francis

With:

Tim and Eric (music set)
Bob Odenkirk
Brian Posehn
Dave Lovering (magic act)

… more to be added!

Save Money and buy a ticket for both The Echo and Echoplex shows for $35

7pm / $20 advance, $25 day of show / all ages

Tuesday 12.08.09: Winston Calling: A Rock & Comedy Benefit featuring BLACK FRANCIS WITH FLEA, WEIRD AL YANKOVIC, OKGO, KIM (from the MUFFS) AND MORE / TENACIOUS D / MICHAEL PENN / DAVID J / GRAND DUCHY / THE 88 AND MORE @ echoplex

for Baby Winston Bertrand hosted by Black Francis

With:
Black Francis w/ Flea, members of Pixies, Love & Rockets, She Wants Revenge, Weird Al Yankovic, OK GO, Kim (from The Muffs) and more
Tenacious D || Listen
Michael Penn
David J (Love and Rockets/Bauhaus)
Grand Duchy (feat: Black Francis & Violet Clark)
The 88
plus celebrity DJs

… more to be added!

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

Save Money and buy a ticket for both The Echo and Echoplex shows for $35

7pm / $20 advance, $25 day of show / all ages

Saturday 11.07.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

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

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

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 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+

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+

Thursday 11.05.09: NORTEC COLLECTIVE FEATURING BOSTICH + FUSSIBLE @ echoplex

Bostich + Fussible || Watch || Mp3

“‘Tijuana Sound Machine’ is both folk music friendly and alien/outer space driven, as electronic freaky as anything by Bjork, Radiohead, or Aphex Twin. If anything, the album is wildly innovative, the first salvo in what may become a global electronic revolution… The music is simply irresistible. Never mind hip-hop, ‘Tijuana Sound Machine’ will truly take a nation of millions to hold it back.”
- Yahoo! Music

“The best dance music of all time. It’s sexy, suave and has real instruments.”
- SF Weekly

“A hayride on speed… this is one party you don’t want to miss.”
- Billboard

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

8:30pm / $15 advance, $17 Day of Show / 18+

Thursday 11.12.09: F*CK BUTTONS / GROWING @ echo

Fuck Buttons || Listen || Watch

Listening to the 7″ version of the opening track from Fuck Buttons upcoming Tarot Sport, I’m tempted to say that the UK noise-rockers learned something in all the time they spent on the road following their excellent 2008 album Street Horrsing. Having caught them a couple of times during that stretch, an image that stays with me is of Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power jerking back and forth violently over a table full of gear, trying desperately to shape the music into something that would resonate with people out to have a good time. While there was much to admire at those shows, there was also a sense that something more was lurking on the horizon for Fuck Buttons, like music that that kept the same brutal edge but translated in a more physical way. “Surf Solar” hints at what that might be. With production assistance from versatile dance producer Andrew Weatherall, “Surf Solar” finds Fuck Buttons sounding even more propulsive, the steady 4/4 kick and careening samples forming a prickly counterpoint to the shimmering drone at the track’s center. It’s not as nasty, perhaps, but nothing is lost in terms of catharsis. And while the edit works well on its own and is more than just a sampler, it also gets you stoked for what else the album might have in store. – Pitchfork

with:
Growing || Listen

8:30pm / $10 / 18+

Thursday 11.05.09: KXLU presents AVI BUFFALO / BOBB BRUNO / WILDBUNCH @ echo

Avi Buffalo || Watch || Mp3

Buffalo, whose real name “is really long, with a hyphen,” he says, is a preternaturally gifted guitarist who crafts swoon-worthy folk-rock full of nooks and crannies, exposed nerves and shimmering soundscapes — think an incipient Neil Young, or a low-fi Mercury Rev, or a lovingly shambolic Wilco. Joined by bandmates Sheridan Riley and Rebecca Coleman (who also attend Millikan High) and Arin Fazio, Buffalo has a growing cadre of Eastside fans and, to no one’s surprise, some interest from record labels. – Buzz Bands

with:
Bobb Bruno
Wildbunch

8pm / $8 advance, $10 day of show / all ages

Sunday 11.01.09: PART TIME PUNKS with TIMES NEW VIKING / SIC ALPS / AXEMEN @ echo

with:
Times New Viking
Sic Alps
Axemen

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

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

9pm / $12 advance, $15 day of show / 18+

Sunday 11.15.09: Part Time Punks Presents MISSION OF BURMA / THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE @ echo

Mission of Burma || Listen || Watch

In their first go-round in the early 1980s, Mission of Burma were equal parts innovation and perspiration. Their muscular post-punk was groundbreaking, but it also had a workman-like quality. Maybe that’s what made them unique– Roger Miller, Clint Conley, and Peter Prescott always had their noses to the grindstone even when they were being visionary. Since reforming in 2002, Burma haven’t been nearly as pioneering. But their hard-toiling side has not only persisted, it has expanded to fill in the gap.

Of their three post-reunion albums so far, The Sound the Speed the Light sounds the most industrious, the most like another day at the office. There’s nothing surprising here, and some songs are so signature-styled you might wonder if you’ve heard them before. But when it comes to office work, Burma’s day beats most bands’ years. So the lack of surprise also means a lack of flaws, and a lot of energy and power. When these guys punch the clock, they take the phrase literally.

So yet another Burma album hits the ground running, this time with “1,2,3 Partyy!”, a seriously fun song about how funny it is that someone would take partying seriously. That energy spills into “Possession”, which swings between weight-lifting pound and a wistful chorus, with lots of Miller guitar grit in between. Later, Conley’s bass melodies and half-spoken lyrics turn “Forget Yourself” into a thoughtful semi-ballad. By time the anthemic “SSL 83″ carries the record to its halfway point, it’s been six straight unimpeachable tunes, forming an album side that rivals any Burma album side. – Pitchfork

with:
The Henry Clay People || Listen || Watch

SHOW HAS MOVED TO ECHO
Tickets purchased for the Mission of Burma & Henry Clay People at Echoplex will still be honored at the door

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

Monday 11.09.09: JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT / CHUCK PROPHET @ echo

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit || Listen || Watch

The 400 Unit sounds a lot more cohesive; even more so it sounds relaxed. Isbell co-produced the record with Centro-matic’s Matt Pence in between road dates. In listening to the eleven tracks, there is no question that this is a Muscle Shoals record. While the debut may have been tainted by the dark days of the A Blessing And A Curse-era DBT, The 400 Unit finds Isbell rejuvenated and eager to move on. A number of the songs seem to address his personal and professional splits with his old band, whether it be the wistful “Cigarettes and Wine” or the more acidic “Sunstroke”. Both moods are handled with a practiced ease. As happens in the Muscle Shoals tradition, The 400 Unit features keys, in this case in the form of Derry deBorga (ex-Son Volt), and that steamy Southern vibe really makes The 400 Unit shine. The sultry organ and soulful vocals set Isbell and band apart from the current gang of reverb-obsessed Americana folkers. Isbell and company have released one hell of a record. If there is any justice in this world, 2009 should see The 400 Unit making waves on the level of tour titans DBT and Lucero. – Tripwire

with:
Chuck Prophet || Listen

MOVED TO ECHO
all tickets purchased for the Echoplex show will still be valid

8pm / $13 Advance, $15 day of show / 18+

Friday 11.06.09: Echo & Club Underground present FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS / SWEATERS @ echo

Fitz and The Tantrums || Watch

“I like this a lot for very obvious reasons…it’s Dope! It might be song of the week, actually.” Mark Ronson

“A supercool Motown-style combo in the Mark Ronson/Sharon Jones/mid-period-ABC vein…imagine if Amy Winehouse was blonde, male, and sane, and that’s Fitz” Yahoo! Music

“You can practically hear the record needle drop on the scratchy 45 when listening to Fitz and The Tantrums, a stylish retro-styled 60’s pop/soul combo” NBC Los Angeles

“Bringing back all the smooth feel of the Motown golden age with some new bounce. Fitz and his Tantrums are sure to install some smooth soul with a little extra.” IndieRockReviews.com

with:
Sweaters

8:30pm / $8 / 18+

Tuesday 11.03.09: PORT O’BRIEN / THE PARSON RED HEADS / EVANGELICALS @ echo

Port O’Brien || Listen || Watch || Mp3

The nautical Bay Area rockers most recently stopped the gap between LPs with a series of seasonally themed 7″s (we sampled Winter), but now they’re returning with a proper album to followup 2007’s praised All We Could Do Was Sing. Its songs were recorded in two locations: a bedroom in San Fran with Papercuts’ Jason Quever, then in a honest to goodness studio Los Angeles with Earlimart’s Aaron Espinoza. Up first from the set is “Sour Milk/Salt Water,” a steady and tuneful jangle-pop tune which hints at a slightly refined take on their windswept melodrama, ending with some studio guitar trickery that suggests it’s from the L.A. session. – Stereogum

with:
The Parson Red Heads || Listen
Evangelicals

8:30pm / $10 Advance, $12 Day of Show / 18+

Monday 11.02.09: SHONEN KNIFE / TY SEGALL / MIKE WATT @ echo

Shonen Knife || Listen || Watch

Few bands that have been around since 1981 can honestly declare that they still rock, but Shonen Knife can. Who knows, maybe there’s something in Osaka’s water supply. Regardless of why they remain awesome, let’s just be thankful for that and get psyched for the release of their new album entitled Super Group, which comes out August 15th, according to Tiny Mix Tapes. Good Charamel Records, the label the band just signed with, will be including a bonus track called “Evil Birds” on North American editions of the album.

Super Group is the first album with Shonen Knife’s newly full-time bassist Ritsuko, previously the occasional fill-in for Atsuko, who departed in 2006. Be sure to catch the trio on their huge upcoming tour of Europe, Australia, and North America so you can repeat a famous Kurt Cobain quotation on the power of the Shonen Knife live show: “When I finally got to see them live, I was transformed into a hysterical nine-year-old at a Beatles concert.” – Consequence of Sound

with:
Ty Segall || Listen
Mike Watt

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

Monday 11.02.09: Bad Time Charlie presents Dia De Los Muertos Debauchery with REZUREX / VIERNES 13 / LOS CREEPERS / THE HOWLERS / GAMBLERS MARK / HOT ROD FUNERAL / LA CHOLITA’S DEAD GIRL BURLESQUE TROOP & MORE @ echoplex

with:
Los Creepers
Rezurex
Viernes 13
Gamblers Mark
The Howlers
Hot Rod Funeral

Plus:
La Cholita’s Dead Girl Burlesque Troop
D.J Brando Von Badsville

and more!

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

8pm / $10 /  18+

Tuesday 11.24.09: Performer Magazine presents MAX TUNDRA / DEASTRO / HEALAMONSTER AND TARSIER @ echo

Max Tundra || Listen || Watch || Mp3

On the contrary, Tundra’s show was everything a true fan could have hoped for. He smartly played around his catalog and tore through old gems like “Lysine,” from his 2002 album “Mastered by Guy at the Exchange,” as well as tunes from his latest release, like the infectiously-catchy “Which Song.” Tundra gave an audience not entirely savvy to his music a varied taste of his limited but impressive body of work. Skittering beats and MIDI horn bits piled out of the PA at rapid fire.

But the best part about seeing him live was watching what he did with these computer-generated themes. Bolting between keyboard solos, various percussion instruments, a Stratocaster guitar, his diva-inspired vocals on the mic and little 5-yard-radial laps around the stage, his spectacle radiated the essence of sheer joy. These antics, coupled with his clever and polite banter in that charming British accent and a couple of covers, tongue squarely in cheek (try Rogers and Hemmerstein’s “So Long, Farewell”), made the whole thing seem like a cartoon. – The Denver Post

with:
Deastro || Listen || Watch
Healamonster and Tarsier

8:30pm / $10 advance, $12 Day of Show / 18+

Saturday 11.07.09: CITIZEN FISH / STAR F*CKING HIPSTERS / MOLOTOV COMPROMISE @ echo

Citizen Fish || Listen

I don’t know if “ska” is the best term to describe the music that UK band Citizen Fish throws down. While the band has the horns and bouncing beats inherent to the style, they are so much more as a whole. To me, the band sounds like a weird cross breed of The Brian Setzer Orchestra and the educated Sex Pistols. Their singer, simply listed in the liner notes as “Dick,” adds what I’d call a little Irish accent to the mix that gives the band the feel of something you might run across in a dirty London pub.

Their new CD Deadline, a “split” album with New York hardcore purveyors Leftover Crack, is a powerhouse collection of songs proving, despite the frequent whining of mainstream music fans, there are still some great politically charged bands out there, if you know where to look. Fat Wreck Chord Records obviously does. – Blogcritics

Star F*cking Hipsters || Listen

S.F.H. was conceived as an alternate musical project for Sturgeon (aka Stza Crack, the singer/guitarist and primary song-writer for Choking Victim/Leftover Crack) and X-Possibles/L.O.C. drummer Brandon Chevalier-Kolling which was planned to commence in 2005 with the song eventually titled “look who’s talking now!” (a version was recorded by Leftover Crack with Brandon on drums for the U.K.’s Radio 1 “lock-up” punk show in the B.B.C.s Mada Vale studios at the end of their 2004 European tour) as their first collaboration and S.F.H.’s jumping-off point. During the final days of an L.O.C. tour that took the band from Florida through Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas and scheduled to end in Louisiana the band was devastated by the untimely death of the Brandon on December 17th, 2004 in Dallas, Texas. After the funeral no plans were made to continue the band and the future of Leftover Crack was unclear and unspokenly non-existent. After a long break and 3 months of aimless travel through central America and Mexico, Sturgeon returned to start the punk band imagined by himself and Brandon: political-punk with a female vocalist and a rotating group of collaborating musicians.

with:
Molotov Compromise

5pm / $10 advance, $12 day of show / all ages

Tuesday 11.03.09: LUCERO “RAMBLIN’ ROADSHOW AND MEMPHIS REVUE” with JACK OBLIVIAN / JOHN PAUL KEITH & THE ONE FOUR FIVES @ echoplex

Lucero || Listen || Watch

Back when Lucero played warehouses and released scrappy attic recordings on hand-packaged LPs, the Memphis band felt like an epiphany. Granted, Lucero wasn’t the first group to smash punk zeal into country-rock tradition, but it was the best at the time, and did so on wholly punk-rock terms. Ten years on, the group has released 1372 Overton Park, its major-label debut. Not only is it a sonic leap for Lucero, it’s another epiphany: Having long outgrown the warehouse, leader Ben Nichols and crew have embraced their legendary Memphis forebears by adding a robust horn section (courtesy of Memphis soul legend Jim Spake) and an epic sweep on par with Lucero’s closest cousin, Drive-By Truckers. Overton’s tracks cover Nichols’ typically gravely domain—anthemic barnburners like “Sounds Of The City” to twang-laden weepers like “Can’t Feel A Thing”—but there’s also stomping Southern boogie on “The Devil And Maggie Chascarillo,” a raucous homage to Los Bros Hernandez’s Love And Rockets comics, and a newfound brassy punch that recalls everything from Stax classics to The Replacements’ Pleased To Meet Me. – AV Club

with:
Jack Oblivian
John Paul Keith & the One Four Fives

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

8pm / $15 advance, $17 day of show /18+

Friday 11.13.09: Echo & TILT present THUNDERHEIST / WINTER GLOVES / SUGAR AND GOLD / FRANKI CHAN @ echoplex

Thunderheist || Listen || Watch

Stealing thunder so you move that ass, the duo dubbed Thunderheist unleashes serious electrocrunk boom bap. Ribcage-rattling bass breaks laced with proper rhyming are flipped with digital booty bass, 80s-inspired electronic pop and slowed down Southern bounce, all fresh-dipped in serious swagger.

MC and singer Isis and producer Grahmzilla know how to bring it. And once they’ve brought it, it stays brung.

“Toronto’s shit-hot electro duo” (NME.com) are already a huge online phenomenon, but this first full taste of their forthcoming album comes courtesy of Nasty Mix Records in Canada. Catchy, propulsive, ecstatic and uncompromising, it’s party music of the highest order, utterly unique but sounding like its been in your head all along.

with:
Winter Gloves || Listen
Sugar and Gold
Franki Chan

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

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