Saturday 01.02.10: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 01.04.10: THE FRENCH SEMESTER / LETTING UP DESPITE GREAT FAULTS / THE SPIRES / THE HEALTH CLUB@ 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:
Letting up Despite Great Faults || Listen
The Spires || Listen
The Health Club || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 01.05.10: OLIN AND THE MOON / MARNIE HERALD @ echo

Olin and The Moon || Listen || Watch

Not to sound too hayseed, but this album’s like beer. Sometimes you cry in it; sometime you raise your glass. The L.A. quintet with roots in Sun Valley, Idaho, have birthed a “No Depression”-worthy recording that, while hardly straying from country formula, tugs at your heart like a prairie sunset. The fivesome’s tidy arrangements help diminutive frontman David LaBrel’s crystalline vocals stand out — he doesn’t have to overplay wistful when he sings “It’s kinda hard to laugh right now / and drinkin’ makes me sick / ‘Cause the first time I saw you / I was in between sips.” – Buzz Bands

with:
Marnie Herald

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Wednesday 01.06.10: SPACELAND ON ICE ORIGAMI VINYL NIGHT with TWILIGHT SLEEP / KISSING COUSINS @ pershing square

Spaceland Productions & Echo present
Spaceland On Ice

with:
Twilight Sleep
Kissing Cousins

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

FMI: Downtown On Ice

7pm / FREE / all ages

Wednesday 01.06.10: BRAZZAVILLE / DAVID J / SALT PETAL @ echo

Brazzaville || Listen || Watch

Sometimes the bossa nova/island music of Brazzaville sounds so sweet, strange and delicate, you think your heart is just going to break and little chickens will come out peeping from the egg-like fragments. Then you realize the songs themselves have a jagged edge. The softness of David Brown’s vocals and gentle lilt of the strings and piano are like the sighs one makes when confronted by pain one can never understand: the feeling of being abandoned by the one you love, or the pain of being dumped by the person you just met and fell for, or growing too old to enjoy the promising nowheres of new relationships. The gentle drumming that tempts one into movement is really the sound of rain and soon one is wet and cold. Brazzaville is a Barcelona based band that takes its name from one of the most squalid cities on earth. The group makes seductive music that insinuates like the delightful smell of oleander, and is just as deadly as that flowery perfume. – Popmatters

with:
David J || Listen
Salt Petal

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

Wednesday 01.06.10: 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 01.07.10: RUMSPRINGA / MISSISSIPPI MAN / LINKS / THE SILENT COMEDY @ echo

Rumspringa || Listen || Watch

We at BeatCrave just can’t get enough of this groovalicious Los Angeles based band! We got to know Rumspringa in a recent interview, are bring them to you live with Saint Motel in what is sure to be one hell of a show and are now proudly inducting them into our fantastic BeatCrave Fav Series! Why all the fuss you ask? Well, first of all, don’t ask stupid questions. Secondly, it’s because they are so fun, original and so downright funky you can’t help but feel like you’ve been time warped back to an era when music was less cerebral and more about the soul, man! – BeatCrave

with:
Mississippi Man || Watch
Links || Listen
The Silent Comedy || Listen

8:30pm / $8 /18+

Friday 01.08.10: FIRST FRIDAYS with ATLAS SOUND / TUNE-YARDS @ natural history museum

with:
Atlas Sound
Tune-Yards

plus:
DJ Spider

And resident DJ:
Them Jeans

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

FMI: Natural History Museum

5:30pm / $9 / All Ages

Friday 01.08.10: ART FEIN presents THE 24TH ANNUAL ELVIS BIRTHDAY BASH @ echoplex

“Art Fein Presents the 24th Annual Elvis Birthday Bash”

with performances by:
Jimmy Angel
Big Manny
The Blasters
The Buckhenries
Ray Campi
Justin Curtis
Dusk Devils
Hotrod Hillbillies
Lisa Finnie
Groovy Rednecks
Carlos Guitarlos
Skip Heller
Rip Masters
Frank Lee Sprague
South Bay Surfers
Stardust Wranglers
Topa Twisters
Whiteboy James
Fred Willard

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

8pm / $20.00 / 18+

Friday 01.08.10: CLUB UNDERGROUND with SWEATERS / HOT SAUCE MENTOR @ Echo

with:
Sweaters
Hot Sauce Mentor
if you like members of art brut, the blood arm, and the mighty lemon drops, then you’ll LOVE hot sauce mentor

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

FMI: ClubUnderground.net

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

Saturday 01.09.10: DRAGSTRIP 66 – HATS ALL FOLKS – GRAND FINALE AND 17th ANNIVERSARY SHOW @ echoplex

Gay, straight, bi, trans or in-between – Dragstrip 66 is your “all-invited” home to unleash all forms of self-expression, decadence, drag, and masquerade – with a totally fun, friendly, no-attitude crowd. The music is an eclectic mix of electro, indie rock, funk, mashups, 80′s, synthpop – anything and everything to get the dancefloor shakin’. Every Dragstrip has a theme as a touchstone to inspire your drag or mode of dress. However, drag is NEVER required, and there’s plenty of folks in totally casual street wear too. DRAGSTRIP 66 is a long-running queer dance club in Los Angeles. (Perhaps the longest running underground dance club in LA?) Co-created by Mr. Dan (aka hostess Gina Lotriman) and DJ Paul V., Dragstrip launched in January 1993, on the 2nd Saturday each month.

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

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

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

9pm / $10 / 21+

Saturday 01.09.10: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Sunday 01.10.10: PART TIME PUNKS with LOVE GRENADES / WET LOOK @ echo

Love Grenades
Wet Look

resident dj Michael Stock spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Monday 01.11.10: THE FRENCH SEMESTER / ASBURY / THE MONOLATORS / MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY @ 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:
Asbury
The Monolators || Listen
Manhattan Murder Mystery

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 01.12.10: OLIN AND THE MOON / ELENI MANDELL @ echo

Olin and The Moon || Listen || Watch

Not to sound too hayseed, but this album’s like beer. Sometimes you cry in it; sometime you raise your glass. The L.A. quintet with roots in Sun Valley, Idaho, have birthed a “No Depression”-worthy recording that, while hardly straying from country formula, tugs at your heart like a prairie sunset. The fivesome’s tidy arrangements help diminutive frontman David LaBrel’s crystalline vocals stand out — he doesn’t have to overplay wistful when he sings “It’s kinda hard to laugh right now / and drinkin’ makes me sick / ‘Cause the first time I saw you / I was in between sips.” – Buzz Bands

with:
Eleni Mandell

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Wednesday 01.13.10: SPACELAND ON ICE with LE SWITCH / NEW WORLD RECORD @ pershing square

Spaceland Productions & Echo present
Spaceland On Ice

with:
Le Switch
New World Record

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

FMI: Downtown On Ice

7pm / FREE / all ages

Wednesday 01.13.10: LA Weekly presents THE PHENOMENAL HANDCLAP BAND / HOLLOYS / JOGGER / WHITE ARROWS @ echo

The Phenomenal Handclap Band || Watch

The Phenomenal Handclap Band makes music that’s as sprawling and unwieldy as its name: To watch the group on stage is to witness what seems like several bands at once. With eight members — from hipsters and beautiful women to long-haired rockers and what look like everyday office workers — the group has been painstakingly engineered to generate a big, bold sensory overload.

Fortunately, its sound is outrageously danceable, fusing grimy funk with cooing disco, retro rock and sweet pop. The Phenomenal Handclap Band was the subject of breathless buzz well before its self-titled debut came out this month, and its live show makes it easy to see and hear why. – NPR

with:
Holloys || Listen
Jogger
White Arrows

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

Wednesday 01.13.10: DUB CLUB presents WILLI WILLIAMS with THE EXPANDERS featuring DAVID HILLYARD / LARRY MCDONALD / MR T-BONE / JAH FAITH @ echoplex

WILLI WILLIAMS
backed by The Expanders
with special guests
David Hillyard of the Slackers on Sax
reggae legend Larry McDonald on percussion
Mr T-Bone (from Italy) on Trombone
plus Jah Faith

Willi Williams is best known as the writer and singer of “Armagideon Time,” a beloved reggae anthem once popularized by The Clash, but over his 40-plus year career, he has contributed consistently to the greater body of Jamaican reggae, collaborating with many of the music’s luminary figures.

After recording “Calling” for Coxson Dodd’s Studio One in 1966, Williams’ career grew steadily as he established the Soul Sounds label in 1969 and produced artists including Delroy Wilson, The Versatiles, and the legendary Barrett Brothers (as Rhythm Force), who would later become the engine of Bob Marley’s band.
Through much of his career, Williams split his time between Kingston, Jamaica and Toronto, Canada, where he formed a close association with Jamaican keyboard legend Jackie Mittoo. Mittoo, perhaps the single most influential musician in Jamaican music history, recorded frequently with Williams in the 70s and contributed significantly to Williams’ outstanding album Messenger Man, released in 1978.

Williams voiced the breakthrough track “Armagideon Time” in 1979. “Jackie Mittoo and myself were working on some projects, and we went to New York and met up with Coxson [Dodd],” Williams recalls. “I had a song at the time that was getting good coverage ['Messenger Man']. [Dodd] heard the song and he wanted to do something with me. He mentioned that when we started out in the early days, he didn’t have enough time and ammunition to work with me how he wanted. So he wanted me to go back into the studio.”

Williams’ original recording of “Armagideon Time” has remained a reggae standard and was included on the comprehensive four-disc set, Tougher Than Tough: The Story of Jamaican Music, released by Mango Records in 1993. “Armagideon Time” also found its way back into popular culture via the 1999 Jim Jarmusch film Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.
“Armagideon Time” utilized the Studio One backing track known as “Real Rock”,and Willi’s cut of the rhythm helped propel it to become the most “versioned” or recycled in all of reggae history. Punk legends The Clash helped internationalize “Armagideon Time” in 1979 as a b-side to its “London Calling” single and a standard part of its live performances.

Far from being a one-hit wonder, Williams’ reggae career has been substantial and prolific with frequent tours to Europe through the years. His work with singer/producer Yabby You has marked his reputation, as well as his later efforts with dub icon Augustus Pablo. In the 80s, Williams recorded See Me and Natty With A Cause for the London-based soundsystem giant Jah Shaka. In the last few years his classic Messenger Man album was re-released by Blood and Fire records, and many of his early Studio One cuts such as Addis-A Babba have been included on the popular reggae compilations on the Soul Jazz label.

Recently Williams has also overseen the production of Full Time Love, released through M10 Records in France. The set features a live backing band, The Drum Street Crew, and Jamaican keyboardist Bobby Kalphat, another of Williams’ notable musical associates. Full Time Love captures the full-band sound of reggae’s past, but with a contemporary production touch. “When you get that live drum and bass you just hear something that . . . you can’t imitate it with a computer,” says Williams.

For this show at the Dub Club Willi will be backed up by the outstanding local roots band The Expanders , who are known for their devotion to capturing the vintage sound and feel of classic reggae. They will be joined for this gig by an all star cast: David Hillyard plays sax for one of the most popular Ska/rocksteady bands worldwide- The Slackers, Mr T-Bone is the top reggae trombone player from Italy , and Larry McDonald is a legendary reggae percussionist , having played on too many classic albums to count. Joining the band for a few opening tunes on vocals will be the Dub Club’s own Jah Faith, along with a couple originals from The Expanders and some instrumental scorchers from Mr Hillyard+ co. A wicked night of music all around! See you there!

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

9pm / $10 advance, $10 before 10pm day of show, $15 after 10pm day of show / 18+

Thursday 01.14.10: Performer Magazine presents JULIA NUNES (early set time) / DANNY TIEGER / TS AND THE PAST HAUNTS / PARKER MACY BLUES @ echo

Julia Nunes || Listen || Watch (8:30pm set time)

Julia Nunes is from New York State, a songwriter, guitarist, and ukulele player. “She has a voice like no other…” Her talent is just now reaching to the public from websites like YouTube.com and Myspace.com. Her first CD “Left Right Wrong” is available all over the world and on iTunes. All the songs are originals.

Julia’s song, “Into the Sunshine” was featured on YouTube.com. The video has over a million views. Even before she was featured on YouTube, Julia won the Bushman World Ukulele Contest, with her entry, “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child, on ukulele. Bushman is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of performance ukuleles.

with:
Danny Tieger
TS and The Past Haunts
Parker Macy Blues

7pm / $13 advance, $15 day of show / all ages

Friday 01.15.10: GZA / CURTAINS / DJ DARK ALLEY @ echoplex

GZA

True genius can not be rushed. In the case of the legendary lyricist GZA, time has always been on his side. With Pro Tools, GZA’s latest release and fifth solo album courtesy of renowned indie Babygrande Records, the masterful MC adds yet another lyrically stunning LP to his rich musical catalogue. For the past 15 years, GZA has been stretching the sensibility of modern-day hip-hop with his finely crafted, thought provoking wordplay which he credits to his willingness to delve deep into the written word.

As one of the founding members of the mighty Wu-Tang Clan, GZA’s mic mastery first gained prominence in 1993 with the release of the Clan’s first LP, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Two years later, GZA released his second solo album, Liquid Swords on Geffen Records which went on to sell over one million copies and earn a platinum plaque. Throughout his various projects with the Wu and classic appearances on other member’s side projects, GZA maintained a reputation as a skilled wordsmith with a highly recognizable and authoritative delivery.

with:
Curtains
DJ Dark Alley

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

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

Friday 01.15.10: CLUB UNDERGROUND with PSYCHIC POWERS / EVAN VOYTAS @ Echo

Psychic Powers
Evan Voytas || Listen

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

FMI: ClubUnderground.net

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

Saturday 01.16.10: FYF Fest presents AA BONDY / NIK FREITAS / WILLY MASON @ echo (early show)

AA Bondy || Watch

When A.A. Bondy retired his distortion pedal along with his Nirvana-inspired indie-rock band Verbena earlier this decade to pick up a battered acoustic guitar and harmonica neck-rack, it wasn’t as dramatic a change as that description might make it sound. Sure, his 2007 solo debut American Hearts was stark and more rooted in folk-blues than screaming riffs, but Bondy still draws inspiration from his career-long favorite topics: religion, death, and religion. The haunting new When The Devil’s Loose finds the Alabama-born troubadour letting a backing band enter the equation, and while Bondy has dialed down the volume, he’s maintained his intensity.

Whereas American Hearts finger-picked its way through tales about Jesus, a plague, and the apocalypse, Devil achieves goose pimples on similar subjects by enveloping them with a subtler, more ethereal approach. The gently rising “A Slow Parade” and reverb-ensconced “False River,” for instance, form odd counterparts by not only reaching out stylistically with more patient guitar lines and markedly bittersweet and bare vocals, but ruminating on the narrator’s lemming-like march into the water and how the survivors deal with the aftermath. When The Devil’s Loose showcases a resolve and relief Bondy’s never evinced before, as if he’s raked his hand through the sands of these spooky songs and transformed the grains that stuck into flawed, captivating pearls. – AV Club

with:
Nik Freitas || Listen
Willy Mason

6pm / $10 / all ages

Saturday 01.16.10: FUNKY SOLE with special guest J.ROCC @ echo

with:
J.ROCC

plus resident DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Sunday 01.17.10: THE COOL RELIEF – A HAITI BENEFIT CONCERT @ echoplex

This Sunday, January 17th, 2010, Shake The Hand will be playing its part and giving a helping HAND to support the Haiti earthquake relief efforts. With host Devi Dev of KDAY and performers Tiron, Problem, UNI, Diz Gibran, Strong Arm Steady, Blu + Mainframe, DOM Kennedy, Pac-Div, Nipsey Hussle and 1500 Or Nothin, Los Angeles will prove that for one night we can come together in support of a greater cause. We would love for you to be apart of our efforts so please, tell a friend to tell a friend!!!

100% ALL OF PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THE VICTIMS OF THIS TRAGEDY

Performers:
Tiron
Problem
UNI
Diz Gibran
Strong Arm Steady
Blu + Mainframe
DOM Kennedy
Pac-Div
Nipsey Hussle
1500 Or Nothin

The Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

9pm / $20 suggested donation /18+

Sunday 01.17.10: PART TIME PUNKS with YUMMY FUR [members of Franz Ferdinand & The 1990s] / NEVEREVER @ echo

Yummy Fur
[members of Franz Ferdinand & The 1990s]

Scottish cult legends, THE YUMMY FUR, featuring members of FRANZ FERDINAND and THE 1990S, play their first and only-ever LA show to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of their demise! (And to prepare for the reissue of their entire back catalogue by the fine What’s Your Rupture? label this spring!) This is one of only five shows the band are doing in the U.S., and their first shows in well over a decade.

with:
Neverever [formerly CHAMPAGNE SOCIALISTS]

Guest DJ:
Kevin Pedersen (from WHAT’S YOUR RUPTURE?)

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

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $10 / 18+

Monday 01.18.10: THE FRENCH SEMESTER / MOVING PICTURE SHOW / LIGHT FM / DOWNTOWN/UNION @ 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:
Moving Picture Show
Light FM
Downtown/Union

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 01.19.10: OLIN AND THE MOON / DUSTY RHODES AND THE RIVER BAND @ echo

Olin and The Moon || Listen || Watch

Not to sound too hayseed, but this album’s like beer. Sometimes you cry in it; sometime you raise your glass. The L.A. quintet with roots in Sun Valley, Idaho, have birthed a “No Depression”-worthy recording that, while hardly straying from country formula, tugs at your heart like a prairie sunset. The fivesome’s tidy arrangements help diminutive frontman David LaBrel’s crystalline vocals stand out — he doesn’t have to overplay wistful when he sings “It’s kinda hard to laugh right now / and drinkin’ makes me sick / ‘Cause the first time I saw you / I was in between sips.” – Buzz Bands

with:
Dusty Rhodes & The River Band

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Wednesday 01.20.10: THE ETTES / THE BLOOD ARM / HEAVY YOUNG HEATHENS @ echo

The Ettes || Listen

The Ettes’ “Take It With You” packs two great tunes into a single song. The first opens with raw guitar, rousing handclaps and a simple melody that sounds sweet enough to sing in a schoolyard. Lead singer Coco (a.k.a. Lindsay Hames) channels some of the best bouffanted singers of the ’60s while adding a sleek punk edge. But something’s lurking beneath the caramel sweetness of Coco’s voice: Just when it seems to have settled into a nice groove, “Take It With You” becomes a brand-new song the second the chorus hits.

At that point, like that moment in Grease when Sandy transforms herself from a powder-puff ingenue to a leather-clad badass, the tune bursts into new territory. It’s suddenly an infectious garage-rock song that practically commands listeners to do the twist. In a plaintive and powerful pitch, Coco lashes out accusations: “You know what you want, but it’s gone now / I know I can see in your eyes now / You know and you know and you know” – NPR

with:
The Blood Arm || Listen
Heavy Young Heathens || Listen

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

Wednesday 01.20.10: 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 01.21.10: MUSIC GO MUSIC / WOUNDED LION / JUBILEE SINGERS @ echo

Music Go Music || Listen || Watch

Despite their mysterious aliases—band members go by Kamer Maza, Gala Bell, and TORG (yes, all caps)—the musicians of this Los Angeles trio sure know how to craft a pop song. Expressions compiles the nine tracks that made up the band’s three 12″ singles into one, unified debut album. And the greatness of those singles still resonates when played together as one whole-album trip. Generally-speaking, Music Go Music play Scandinavian-style pop music that owes perhaps a bit too much to ABBA and, at times, is so over-the-top that it threatens to go completely over the edge. Yet, the music is thrilling and demonstrates as much throughout all of Expressions’ 45 minutes. “Light of Love” deals with the idyllic nature of love through über-melodic tunefulness. “Reach Out” starts out as vaguely heavy pseudo-metal crossed with the sound of late-’70s Heart before segueing into disco beats and a danceable prog-rock groove. And “Just Me” is a glorious sing-a-long of pop bliss that would qualify as a guilty pleasure if you weren’t singing along so loudly. Add to this tales of “torrid starlit bacchanals of wild-eyed delight,” and what’s not to like? Music Go Music has created the perfect pop song, played nine times over. Now bring on album number two. – Under The Radar

with:
Wounded Lion
Jubilee Singers

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

Thursday 01.21.10: 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+

Friday 01.22.10: Manimal Vinyl presents A BENEFIT FOR HAITI with NICO VEGA / ADANOWSKY / JENNY O / CORRIDOR / SOKO / PIZZA / LA LADIES CHOIR / MARC RIBOT @ echoplex

with:
NICO VEGA
ADANOWSKY
JENNY O.
CORRIDOR
SOKO
PIZZA!
LA Ladies Choir
Marc Ribot

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

7pm / $10 donation / 18+

Friday 01.22.10: CLUB UNDERGROUND & Echo present JEMINA PEARL (from Be Your Own Pet) / THE CANNONEERS @ echo

Jemina Pearl || Listen

In Pearl’s world, there’s black and white– and maybe some red. Things that suck get what they deserve, whether they’re asshole fans, jerky boyfriends, or simply the notion of growing up. She’s an old-school punk in that there’s little pretense; she thrashes about onstage because she wants to and not because she thinks it looks cool. According to her Ecstatic Peace label head (and Break It Up guest guitarist/vocalist) Thurston Moore, she’s not “out to impress anybody; she [is] just kicking total ass.” He should know.

As far as ass-kicking goes, there’s plenty of it here. Nearly every song is marked with a rough-edged riff from another era, whether it be surf, garage, or girl group. And Pearl’s guttural wail is intact. But there are no straight-up, minute-long goofs, and instead of raging on about pitch-perfect nonsense and suburban malaise, Pearl often turns inward. The self-reflection can be reassuring, as on the fizzy, Dave Sitek-assisted Gemini ode “Ecstatic Appeal”, or deeply troubling, as on the laborious downer “Retrograde”, where voices in the back of Pearl’s mind tell her to “go on, cut a little bit deeper, see how far we can go.” The LP’s best reflective track finds a semi-happy middle ground between those two extremes; “No Good” has the singer lambasting herself for being lazy– “I’ve been trying for so long, can’t get shit done”– with the song acting as a fitful solution to the idleness. – Pitchfork

with:
The Cannoneers

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

Saturday 01.23.10: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Sunday 01.24.10: PART TIME PUNKS with MEMORY + PROTECT ME @ echo

MEMORY
PROTECT ME

resident dj Michael Stock spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Monday 01.25.10: THE FRENCH SEMESTER / TEAM ABRAHAM / LE SWITCH / WONDERGROUND @ 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:
Team Abraham
Le Switch || Listen
Wonderground

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 01.26.10: OLIN AND THE MOON / THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE / HAIM @ echo

Olin and The Moon || Listen || Watch

Not to sound too hayseed, but this album’s like beer. Sometimes you cry in it; sometime you raise your glass. The L.A. quintet with roots in Sun Valley, Idaho, have birthed a “No Depression”-worthy recording that, while hardly straying from country formula, tugs at your heart like a prairie sunset. The fivesome’s tidy arrangements help diminutive frontman David LaBrel’s crystalline vocals stand out — he doesn’t have to overplay wistful when he sings “It’s kinda hard to laugh right now / and drinkin’ makes me sick / ‘Cause the first time I saw you / I was in between sips.” – Buzz Bands

with:
The Henry Clay People || Listen
Haim

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 01.26.10: Hollywood East Entertainment & IllRoots.com present CURREN$Y / DIZ GIBRAN / TIRON / HOLLYWEERD / EL PREZ / SPREE WILSON / GRIP PLYAZ / MIKKEY HALSTED / LEP BOGUS BOYS @ echoplex

Curren$y
Diz Gibran
TiRon
Hollyweerd
El Prez
Spree Wilson
Grip Plyaz
Mikkey Halsted
Lep Bogus Boys

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

9pm / 18+

Wednesday 01.27.10: REV. PAYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND / THE DONKEYS @ echo

Rev Payton’s Big Damn Band || Listen || Watch

Well, they’re not that big, but they make a damn big sound: featuring the burly, bearded Reverend Peyton on steel resonator guitar and guttural vocal bark – a sort of backwoods Brian Blessed – with his wife Breezy on washboard and his kid brother Jayme on drums, the band bring to their retro-fabricated rootsy Americana an utterly gripping compulsion.

Peyton employs a dervish blend of thrashed chords, bustling fingerpicking and slashing slide interjections, but it’s the post-modern manner of his material that really sets them apart.

Alongside food-themed cuts such as “Mama’s Fried Potatoes” and testaments to the rambling life like “Worn Out Shoe”, are songs which apply antique, vintage treatments to starkly modern concerns, corporate greed “Wal-Mart Killed The Country Store” to the health-insurance anxiety of “Can’t Pay The Bill”.

Even that time-honoured blues staple, the fishing song, gets a dystopian makeover in “The Creeks Are All Bad”, with Peyton advising anglers to throw back their catch “’cause there’s PCBs in the catfish, and mercury in the bass”. But there’s room for a glint of humour too, as in the trailer-park scenario sketched in “Your Cousin’s On Cops”. – The Independent

with:
The Donkeys || Listen

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

Wednesday 01.27.10: 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 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

Thursday 01.28.10: THE PARSON RED HEADS / THE CHAPIN SISTERS / SOCIAL STUDIES / ALL SPOTS TO BLACK @ echo

The Parson Red Heads || Listen || Watch

“Los Angeles-via-Oregon collective The Parson Red Heads have a real California-ized sound. The bright guitars, the laid-back vocals, the Brian Wilson -esque harmonies all point to the Sunshine State, so it’s no wonder they drifted away from the rain towards the palm trees.

After touring with the likes of Blitzen Trapper and Earlimart in support of last year’s Owl & Timber EP, the psych-folkers are excited to promote their first-ever vinyl release, Orangufang, out April 28th on JAXART Records. “Raymond” from the forthcoming 7″ is an homage to intermittent Parson member, Raymond Richards, who produced and engineered the track. Building around the strong twang-tinged guitar riff, the retro vocals and tight harmonies solidify their California spirit with a languid drawl that is anything but lazy. And the crazy interplay of guitars at the end just sweeten the deal.” – Filter-Mag.com

with:
Chapin Sisters || Listen
Social Studies || Listen
All Spots To Black || Listen

8:30pm / $7 / 18+

Friday 01.29.10: Rum & Humble, Echo & KCRW present OUT 4 BLOOD – A Night Featuring Artists from The True Blood Soundtrack with JOHN DOE / CC ADCOCK / JACE EVERETT @ echoplex

The Grammy-nominated ‘True Blood’ soundtrack comes alive in a night of music from HBO’s acclaimed series at the Echoplex on January 29. Reflecting the present-day Southern Gothic atmosphere portrayed onscreen, the soundtrack’s haunting song selections lean toward a large helping of roots-oriented, swamp-flooded, Louisiana-influenced sounds; performed by contemporary and classic practitioners of the genre.

Gary Calamar, music supervisor for ‘True Blood,’ says “I am thrilled that we are able to pull together some of the amazing artists who are on the ‘True Blood’ soundtrack for this very special show. And….we are trying to secure some surprise guests as well. It’s going to be badass !”

Out 4 Blood is made possible in part with generous support from Louisiana Entertainment and proudly recognizes Louisiana’s Year of the Song, celebrating the historic contribution of the state’s songs and songwriters.

with:
John Doe & The Sadies || Listen
CC Adcock
Jace Everett || Listen

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

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

Friday 01.29.10: CLUB UNDERGROUND 9 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION with THE TENDER BOX / SATELLITE CRUSH @ echo

with:
The Tender Box || Listen
Satellite Crush

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

FMI: ClubUnderground.net

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

Saturday 01.30.10: 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

Saturday 01.30.10: DANCEiSM @ echoplex

with:
SonicC [DIM MAK]
ROBOT LOVE [DANCEiSM]
PAUL DEVRO [MAD DECENT]
BONES [GDD]
ASAA [DANCEiSM]

plus:
Body Paint
Live Visuals by DR STRANGELOOP [BRAINFEEDER]
Live Kinetic Lighting by DANCEiSM
Artifact01 (v.3)
More Surprises

Dress Code: FUN + Creative

Roaming by YoungANDSleek – [ http://youngandsleek.com ]
Photobooth by TommyB – [ http://thetommyb.com ]

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

RSVP at www.danceism.com

9pm / $10 with RSVP, $20 without RSVP / 18+

Saturday 01.30.10: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Sunday 01.31.10: PART TIME PUNKS – DEPECHE MODE NITE @ echo

resident dj Michael Stock spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+