BEACH FOSSILS @ echo

Posted by damara - filed in 18+, echo, events

bearinheaven

Though not quite coming out of nowhere, BRFM seems like a surprise gift– a striking consolidation of the spiky psych-prog tendencies of their debut into a pop framework. In terms of career gear-shifts, the move Caribou made with Andorra is the most recent precedent. Though at 41 minutes the album is economical and sharp in its execution, the band– all from Georgia and Alabama– still imbues its compositions with the generosity of spirit that makes the best Southern rock so invigorating. “Beast in Peace” opens the record with a gentle lockstep before shifting seamlessly into a mile-wide chorus. Then, they expand that chorus even further, like switching to the widest camera lens to capture a vista they just realized the full vastness of. Elsewhere, as its title indicates, “Ultimate Satisfaction” is an IMAX-wide ode to what starts out as a simple thought, then turns bodily– the refrain of “coming down!” charts the sensation spreading like a spasm. That towering exultation is also felt on the primal “Deafening Love”. While aiming for a similar sense of awe-inspiring bliss, “Love” widens the focus and luxuriates in the tremors, approximating a more protracted take on Jane’s Addiction’s “Mountain Song”.

Yet Bear in Heaven’s greatest trick is creating music that evokes the sort of physicality and scope that could soundtrack a Hollywood film, but also works equally well at stirring up intimate bodily passion. Lush synth beds, warm electronics accenting polyrhythms, and Jon Philpot’s yearning, boyish howl coalesce into a vibe that’s muscular without being macho, and which strikes a rare balance between nuanced emotion and overwhelming sensation. Even when delving into more disconcerting subject matter– dabbling in self-loathing on “Wholehearted Mess” or confronting paranoia on the slinky “You Do You”– Philpot still manages to imbue the songs with an atmosphere of seduction and intrigue. – Pitchfork

with:
Twin Sister
Beach Fossils

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

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Tuesday 07.27.10: Ah Ritualism and LA Record Present JESUS MAKES THE SHOTGUN SOUND / GENEVA JACUZZI / WEAVE! / ENOCHIAN KEYS / EXTRAVAGASMA DJS @ echoplex

Posted by damara - filed in 18+, echoplex, events

july27echoplexphlyer

Jesus Makes the Shotgun Sound

“This band should be playing Disney Hall with the combined force of the L.A. Philharmonic behind them. Listen to this album soon.” -The LA Record

“Since 2004, the group has come to encompass the ideals of D.I.Y. culture.” – BMI Indie Spotlight

“Rather than attempting to impress elitists with their aural exposition, the band focuses on weaving a tight, intricate web of harmonic progressions, and haunting melodies that convey raw, unprocessed, unrefined emotion.” – Inland Empire Weekly

“Once Jesus Makes The Shotgun Sound’s louder as in really, really, deafeningly loud songs start, I feel less ashamed of my near-tears. I almost can’t resist the urge to start writhing a bit myself; it’s obvious that my emotions aren’t being manipulated by any run-of-the-mill dudes in their 20s.” – Anthem Magazine

“One of the forefront bands in a tremendously tight-knit and fertile young scene centered in L.A. Jesus Makes The Shotgun Sound make music that exists on the perpetual frontier of maximum rock epicness.” – The Stranger

with:
Geneva Jacuzzi || Listen
WEAVE!
The Enochian Keys

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