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+

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

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+

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+

Wednesday 09.30.09: BUZZBANDS.LA ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY with EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS / VOXHAUL BRODCAST / SAMUEL STEWART / RADIO FREQ @ echo

Eastern Conference Champions || Listen || Watch (EP Release Party)

with:
Voxhaul Broadcast (EP Release Party)
Samuel Stewart
Radio Freq

RSVP to any of the bands on the bill or to buzzbands@gmail.com

8:30pm / $8, $5 with RSVP / 18+

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

Correatown || Listen || Watch

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

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

with:
The Voyeurs
Eagle & Talon
Bandito Royale

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Friday 08.14.09: Rock N Roll Summer Circus with THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE / FOL CHEN / FLYING TOURBILLON ORCHESTRA / MARVELOUS TOY & MUCH MORE @ echoplex

The Henry Clay People || Listen || Watch
Fol Chen || Listen
The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra || Listen
Marvelous Toy || Listen

“Side Show Acoustic Performers”:
Damselles & The TC4
Roadside Graves || Listen
Les Blanks || Listen
Downtown Union
Balloon Bass
Banjo-Vi
Oof Aarted

MC’d by ELI MONOLATOR

FREE Cotton Candy and Sno-Cones

Skeeball and Prizes!!

Balloon hats–Mimes–and MORE

***Wear a moustache, come in clown or mime face, or come wearing some other type of circus attire and you get a free little mix cd with a song from each band performing***

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

8pm / $10 / 18+

Thursday 06.25.09: LES BLANKS / THE FLING / THE VOYEURS / FOMA @ echo

Les Blanks || Listen || Watch

Los Angeles indie trio Les Blanks brings the bravado in droves with this most recent LP, Shoot the Horse, a sing/speak-styled effort vocally reminiscent of Fu Manchu’s Scott Hill or Frank Black of Pixies fame.

After trademark issues sprang up over the band’s original name, Muso, the group settled on naming itself after critically lauded documentary filmmaker Les Blank. Just as The New York Times described Blank as “a documentarian of folk cultures,” Shoot the Horse chronicles a seemingly Southerly-raised youth coming to understand and criticize the world, juxtaposing Bible Belt-bred piety and God-fearing reverence with implied hypocrisy. Most apparent in the Wurlitzer-driven “Grand Kickstand,” lead singer Joshua Caldwell croons, “Strong hand commands in holy land / Brain brand the kid with Judas tan.”

Nothing if not dynamic, the album’s sound runs the gamut — the tinny, rapid-fire thrashing coming from Caldwell’s Telecaster on “Starry Tilting Sizzle” invites the swagger and sway of hips and boots on crowded dance floors, while the ragtime-tinged piano found in “La Reina” calls for a laidback saloon-style listening session. – Performer Mag

with:
The Fling
The Voyeurs
Foma

8:30pm / $5 / 18+

06.16.09: LANDy / THE FRENCH SEMESTER / SPLEEN UNITED / RUSTY ANDERSON @ echo

LANDy || Listen || Watch

with:
The French Semester || Listen
Spleen United
Rusty Anderson

8:30pm / $5 / 18+

Monday 06.29.09: Monday Night Residency – OLIVER FUTURE / CASXIO / ALL WRONG AND THE PLANS CHANGED / RADARS TO THE SKY @ echo

Oliver Future || Listen

In Oliver Future’s new configuration, Lit will remain out front, his brother will man a bank of keyboards affectionately called “rig-zilla” and Raver will drum. “Sam just went out and bought a kit and said, ‘I’m going to be your drummer and we’re going to be a three-piece,’” Noah Lit says. “So the story is we just downsized because of the economy.” Lit says the trio “locked ourselves into an antique storage warehouse” and thrashed out new songs. “If you like the more epic and weird stuff on the first record, you’ll like his,” he adds. “There’s no feeling anymore that we have to write a single. But in a weird way, when there’s just three people playing — even though the songs are out there — everything just sounds more simple. “Before we were like an aircraft carrier. But there’s something to be said for being minimalistic.” – Buzz Bands

with:
Casxio || Listen
All Wrong and The Plans Change
Radars to the Sky

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 06.22.09: Monday Night Residency – OLIVER FUTURE / CAPSHUNS / HORSE THIEVES / DIVISIBLE @ echo

Oliver Future || Listen

In Oliver Future’s new configuration, Lit will remain out front, his brother will man a bank of keyboards affectionately called “rig-zilla” and Raver will drum. “Sam just went out and bought a kit and said, ‘I’m going to be your drummer and we’re going to be a three-piece,’” Noah Lit says. “So the story is we just downsized because of the economy.” Lit says the trio “locked ourselves into an antique storage warehouse” and thrashed out new songs. “If you like the more epic and weird stuff on the first record, you’ll like his,” he adds. “There’s no feeling anymore that we have to write a single. But in a weird way, when there’s just three people playing — even though the songs are out there — everything just sounds more simple. “Before we were like an aircraft carrier. But there’s something to be said for being minimalistic.” – Buzz Bands

Capshuns
Horse Thieves
Divisible || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 06.15.09: Monday Night Residency – OLIVER FUTURE / GLISS / ALEXANDRA HOPE / DEAR OR THE DOE @ echo

Oliver Future || Listen

In Oliver Future’s new configuration, Lit will remain out front, his brother will man a bank of keyboards affectionately called “rig-zilla” and Raver will drum. “Sam just went out and bought a kit and said, ‘I’m going to be your drummer and we’re going to be a three-piece,’” Noah Lit says. “So the story is we just downsized because of the economy.” Lit says the trio “locked ourselves into an antique storage warehouse” and thrashed out new songs. “If you like the more epic and weird stuff on the first record, you’ll like his,” he adds. “There’s no feeling anymore that we have to write a single. But in a weird way, when there’s just three people playing — even though the songs are out there — everything just sounds more simple. “Before we were like an aircraft carrier. But there’s something to be said for being minimalistic.” – Buzz Bands

with:
Gliss || Listen
Alexandra Hope
Dear or the Doe

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 06.08.09: Monday Night Residency – OLIVER FUTURE / OTHER LIVES @ echo

Oliver Future || Listen

In Oliver Future’s new configuration, Lit will remain out front, his brother will man a bank of keyboards affectionately called “rig-zilla” and Raver will drum. “Sam just went out and bought a kit and said, ‘I’m going to be your drummer and we’re going to be a three-piece,’” Noah Lit says. “So the story is we just downsized because of the economy.” Lit says the trio “locked ourselves into an antique storage warehouse” and thrashed out new songs. “If you like the more epic and weird stuff on the first record, you’ll like his,” he adds. “There’s no feeling anymore that we have to write a single. But in a weird way, when there’s just three people playing — even though the songs are out there — everything just sounds more simple. “Before we were like an aircraft carrier. But there’s something to be said for being minimalistic.” – Buzz Bands

with:
Other Lives

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 06.01.09: Monday Night Residency – OLIVER FUTURE / USELESS KEYS / SUPERHUMANOIDS / THE DELTA MIRROR @ echo

Oliver Future || Listen

In Oliver Future’s new configuration, Lit will remain out front, his brother will man a bank of keyboards affectionately called “rig-zilla” and Raver will drum. “Sam just went out and bought a kit and said, ‘I’m going to be your drummer and we’re going to be a three-piece,’” Noah Lit says. “So the story is we just downsized because of the economy.” Lit says the trio “locked ourselves into an antique storage warehouse” and thrashed out new songs. “If you like the more epic and weird stuff on the first record, you’ll like his,” he adds. “There’s no feeling anymore that we have to write a single. But in a weird way, when there’s just three people playing — even though the songs are out there — everything just sounds more simple. “Before we were like an aircraft carrier. But there’s something to be said for being minimalistic.” – Buzz Bands

with:
Useless Keys || Listen
Superhumanoids
The Delta Mirror

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 06.02.09: OLIN & THE MOON / LESLIE & THE BADGERS / DEEP SEA DIVER / EAGLE & TALON @ echo

Olin & The Moon || Watch

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

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

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

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

with:
Leslie & the Badgers
Deep Sea Diver
Eagle & Talon || Listen

8:30pm / $5 / 18+

Monday 05.25.09: Monday Night Residency – JULIETTE COMMAGERE / CHAPIN SISTERS / JOGGER / LANDY @ echo

Juliette Commagere

Lately I’ve been so knocked out hearing these great and gorgeous pop tunes created and performed by the lovely Juliette Commagère. You might know her as the Keytar-slinging, charismatic front woman for the adventurous indie-rock band Hello Stranger, which she formed with drummer Joaquin Cooder; or you might have heard her singing and playing on recent endeavors by Avenged Sevenfold and Puscifer. That varied batch of interests hints as to the unclichéd gifts of the multitalented Commagère, which are given a fuller flowering on her new solo album, Queens Die Proudly (Aeronaut Records). A vividly orchestrated pop-art project veering from the wistful and elegiac to the epic and otherwordly, Queens is like a No. 1 chart-topper from another dimension, where remarkably memorable songs are given evocative musical twists via her classically designed song structures and sensual ’70s synth stylings. On her recent cross-country residency stints, Commagère has assembled local orchestras (via Craigslist!) of strings and horns, which brings a radiant gleam to her superb material. – LA Weekly

With
Chapin Sisters || Listen
Jogger
Landy || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 05.18.09: Monday Night Residency – JULIETTE COMMAGERE / ROBERT FRANCIS / CECI BASTIDA / RADEMACHER @ echo

Juliette Commagere

Lately I’ve been so knocked out hearing these great and gorgeous pop tunes created and performed by the lovely Juliette Commagère. You might know her as the Keytar-slinging, charismatic front woman for the adventurous indie-rock band Hello Stranger, which she formed with drummer Joaquin Cooder; or you might have heard her singing and playing on recent endeavors by Avenged Sevenfold and Puscifer. That varied batch of interests hints as to the unclichéd gifts of the multitalented Commagère, which are given a fuller flowering on her new solo album, Queens Die Proudly (Aeronaut Records). A vividly orchestrated pop-art project veering from the wistful and elegiac to the epic and otherwordly, Queens is like a No. 1 chart-topper from another dimension, where remarkably memorable songs are given evocative musical twists via her classically designed song structures and sensual ’70s synth stylings. On her recent cross-country residency stints, Commagère has assembled local orchestras (via Craigslist!) of strings and horns, which brings a radiant gleam to her superb material. – LA Weekly

With
Robert Francis
Ceci Bastida || Listen
Rademacher

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 05.11.09: Monday Night Residency – JULIETTE COMMAGERE / GRIZZLY OWLS / VAUDEVILLE / PAIGE STARK @ echo

Juliette Commagere

Lately I’ve been so knocked out hearing these great and gorgeous pop tunes created and performed by the lovely Juliette Commagère. You might know her as the Keytar-slinging, charismatic front woman for the adventurous indie-rock band Hello Stranger, which she formed with drummer Joaquin Cooder; or you might have heard her singing and playing on recent endeavors by Avenged Sevenfold and Puscifer. That varied batch of interests hints as to the unclichéd gifts of the multitalented Commagère, which are given a fuller flowering on her new solo album, Queens Die Proudly (Aeronaut Records). A vividly orchestrated pop-art project veering from the wistful and elegiac to the epic and otherwordly, Queens is like a No. 1 chart-topper from another dimension, where remarkably memorable songs are given evocative musical twists via her classically designed song structures and sensual ’70s synth stylings. On her recent cross-country residency stints, Commagère has assembled local orchestras (via Craigslist!) of strings and horns, which brings a radiant gleam to her superb material. – LA Weekly

With:
Grizzly Owls || Listen
Vaudeville
Paige Stark

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 05.04.09: Monday Night Residency – JULIETTE COMMAGERE / OBI BEST @ echo

Juliette Commagere

Lately I’ve been so knocked out hearing these great and gorgeous pop tunes created and performed by the lovely Juliette Commagère. You might know her as the Keytar-slinging, charismatic front woman for the adventurous indie-rock band Hello Stranger, which she formed with drummer Joaquin Cooder; or you might have heard her singing and playing on recent endeavors by Avenged Sevenfold and Puscifer. That varied batch of interests hints as to the unclichéd gifts of the multitalented Commagère, which are given a fuller flowering on her new solo album, Queens Die Proudly (Aeronaut Records). A vividly orchestrated pop-art project veering from the wistful and elegiac to the epic and otherwordly, Queens is like a No. 1 chart-topper from another dimension, where remarkably memorable songs are given evocative musical twists via her classically designed song structures and sensual ’70s synth stylings. On her recent cross-country residency stints, Commagère has assembled local orchestras (via Craigslist!) of strings and horns, which brings a radiant gleam to her superb material. – LA Weekly

With:
Obi Best || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Thursday 04.23.09: DAWES / AMATEURS / MISSISSIPPI MAN @ echo

Dawes || Watch

Dawes could only spring from Los Angeles, or at least possesses that certain magical harmony and appreciation of wide-open spaces, rolling waves and Pacific breezes that’s inspired musicians for decades.

Drawing from the same well that delivered us Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes, and springing from the same Topanga/Americana scene that supports Jonathan Rice, Jonathan Wilson and Jenny Lewis, Dawes touches on the same vibe using piano, guitar, bass and gorgeous harmonies. But where BoH and FF generously borrow from that California sound, Dawes breathes it. – LA Weekly

with:
Amateurs || Listen
Mississippi Man

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

Tuesday 05.26.09: Tuesday Night Residency – AVI BUFFALO / GREATER CALIFORNIA / DIVISADERO / THE REPORTER WHO BECAME KING / DJ Sets by LA RECORD @ echo

Avi Buffalo || Watch

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:
Greater California
Divisadero || Listen
The Reporter Who Became King
DJ Sets By LA RECORD

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

Tuesday 05.19.09: Tuesday Night Residency – AVI BUFFALO / SHILOE / BOBB BRUNO / DJ sets by VOSOTROS @ echo

Avi Buffalo || Watch

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:
Shiloe || Listen
Bobb Bruno
DJ Sets By Vosotros

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

Tuesday 05.12.09: Tuesday Night Residency – AVI BUFFALO / THE FARAWAY PLACES (Record Release Show) / MARVELOUS TOY / STARBURST CRYSTAL ENSEMBLE / DJ KEVIN BRONSON @ echo

Avi Buffalo || Watch

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:

Faraway Places || Listen

Out of the Rain is somewhat like its predecessor, a warm-sounding record full of well-constructed pop/rock songs whose raggedy melodic patches and insistent hooks that sound crafted yet stumbled upon grab you; these great pop things just as often fall into a sort of daydream-coma mode in the middle or at song’s end… Songs like “The Sun Goes West,” “You Can Cry” and “Just Let Go” evoke the very best massagingly rounded-edge power of great ’60s or early ’70s albums like the more jazzy-improv-psych late-Byrds stuff, or, more specifically, Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush or, in fact, Boston’s eponymous debut disc. – LA Weekly

plus:
Marvelous Toy || Listen
Starburst Crystal Ensemble
DJ Kevin Bronson (Buzz Bands LA)

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

Tuesday 05.05.09: Tuesday Night Residency – AVI BUFFALO / DEEP SEA DIVER / 60 WATT KID / TIME OF WOLVES / TENLONS FORT / DJ LARRY LITTLE @ echo

Avi Buffalo || Watch

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:
60 Watt Kid
Deep Sea Diver
Time Of Wolves
Tenlons Fort

DJ Larry Little (Future Sounds)

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

Tuesday 04.28.09: CASTLEDOOR / THE PARSON RED HEADS / PRINCETON @ echoplex

Castledoor || Listen || Watch

From the swinging, rubberband rhythms of “Dumpster Diving”’s melodic surge to the swaying “We Will” to the slow motion, twinkling sweetness of “Nightlight”’s autumnal, leaf-drift grace, Castledoor’s ‘Til We Sink EP is nearly as frustrating as it is gorgeous—so addictive are the record’s three soul-swept and buoyant tracks that, as “Nightlight”’s final vinyl groovespun harmonies fade into the ether, you can’t help but demand an additional seven songs of smoldering rock ‘n blues. Which isn’t bad for marketing—between this and 2006’s Follow the Dove EP, expectations and demand for a full-length probably can’t get any higher. The fact that this EP is a sliver of an LP-length recording session of music yet to be released (the band: “[We] guess the record labels are having a hard time these days, or something…”) mingles a bit of nervousness and disquiet to that sense of excited expectation. Lucky us then, that if only for it’s brief running time, ‘Til We Sink generates such a lovely sense of ease and enjoyment in the listener as to render any reservations muted and the expectations at full-blast. – Web In Front

with:

The Parson Red Heads

“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

plus:
Princeton || Listen

8:30pm / $7 / 18+

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

Light FM

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

with:
The Parson Red Heads
The Spires
French Semester

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

Tuesday 01.06.09: Aquarium Drunkard presents LES BLANKS / THE WORLD RECORD / ONE TRICK PONY / AMATEURS @ Echo

Les Blanks || Listen || Watch

Los Angeles indie trio Les Blanks brings the bravado in droves with this most recent

LP, Shoot the Horse, a sing/speak-styled effort vocally reminiscent of Fu Manchu’s Scott Hill or Frank Black of Pixies fame.

After trademark issues sprang up over the band’s original name, Muso, the group settled on naming itself after critically lauded documentary filmmaker Les Blank. Just as The New York Times described Blank as “a documentarian of folk cultures,” Shoot the Horse chronicles a seemingly Southerly-raised youth coming to understand and criticize the world, juxtaposing Bible Belt-bred piety and God-fearing reverence with implied hypocrisy. Most apparent in the Wurlitzer-driven “Grand Kickstand,” lead singer Joshua Caldwell croons, “Strong hand commands in holy land / Brain brand the kid with Judas tan.”

Nothing if not dynamic, the album’s sound runs the gamut — the tinny, rapid-fire thrashing coming from Caldwell’s Telecaster on “Starry Tilting Sizzle” invites the swagger and sway of hips and boots on crowded dance floors, while the ragtime-tinged piano found in “La Reina” calls for a laidback saloon-style listening session. – Performer Mag

with:
The World Record
One Trick Pony || Listen
Amateurs || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Wednesday 12.31.08: CLUB UNDERGROUND NEW YEARS EVE with THE BLOOD ARM / WE ARE THE WORLD @ echo

with:
The Blood Arm || Listen
We Are The World

plus DJs:
Eddie Argos (Art Brut)
Larry G
Diana
Shane
Mark
Scarlett Casanova
Marina Velocity
Jasepi

8:30pm / $10 presale / 18+

Wednesday 01.21.09: CURUMIN with Special Guest MONEY MARK @ echo

Curumin

Named after a Brazilian word for “indigenous children,” hailing from Spanish and Japanese ancestry, and rhyming and scheming in Portuguese, Luciano Nakata Albuquerque has dazzled since his 2005 hybrid-funk debut “Achados e Perdidos” dropped with the help of Blackalicious’ Chief Xcel. That DJ evidently liked what he heard, and bankrolled this sophomore effort, which is easily one of hip-hop’s finest releases of 2008. That is, if you consider a mash of samba, funk, soul, rap, jazz and bossa nova to be hip-hop. “Japan Pop Show” displays skill on every level. The dance-floor grind of “Magrela Fever” might be the best club banger of the year. The title track is a psychedelic recombination of David Axelrod and Os Mutantes’ funky genes, and the subtle spacetracking of “Mistério Stereo” is as accessible for indie heads as it is for soul old-schoolers. Curumin’s classical training on percussion and keyboards has paid off heavily, especially on the instrumental groove of “Fu Manchu” and jazz and dub explorations of “Salto No Vácuo Com Joelhada” and “Saída Bangú.” It is, literally, all good. – Metromix LA

With Special Guest:

Money Mark

8pm / $10 / 18+

Monday 01.26.09: Monday Night Residency – ROBERT FRANCIS / MAGIC BULLETS / PETER & THE WOLF / ANNI ROSSI @ echo

Robert Francis || Watch

It would be an understatement to say that Francis’ musicianship belies his young age, as some of One’s best songs already harbor the rustic, world-weary quality that many artists spend their careers cultivating. Whether or not Francis has actually experienced the pastoral blues that color his lyrics is beyond the point; his dusty baritone and heartland imagery make the potential fib worthwhile. From the right-handed piano twinkles of opener “Mama Don’t Come” to the gorgeously hypnotic, looping closer, there’s an airy sense of space to these ten songs. Even the album’s most ornate material — the seven-minute title track, perhaps, with its climax of co-ed vocals and sweeping violin — is allotted enough room to breathe. When the orchestration becomes lush, Francis usually swoops in with a musical reprieve, be it a momentary break in a riff’s rhythm or a touch of reverb to widen the sound. Even more interesting is his love for subtle, esoteric flourishes: a dog barking in the middle of “The Devil’s Mountains,” right before the bluesy pedal steel gives way to mariachi horns; delayed violin in verse two of “Little Girl”; the church-like harmonies in “Dakota.” It’s impressive proof that Francis’ self-appointment as producer isn’t the result of some youthful ego trip, but rather the most logical choice for a penny-pinched teenager — or, for that matter, anyone whose music mirrors these rustic folk-pop strains. – All Music

with:
Magic Bullets || Listen
Peter & The Wolf
Anni Rossi

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 01.19.09: Monday Night Residency – ROBERT FRANCIS / AMATEURS / LEX LAND / AVI BUFFALO @ echo

Robert Francis || Watch

It would be an understatement to say that Francis’ musicianship belies his young age, as some of One’s best songs already harbor the rustic, world-weary quality that many artists spend their careers cultivating. Whether or not Francis has actually experienced the pastoral blues that color his lyrics is beyond the point; his dusty baritone and heartland imagery make the potential fib worthwhile. From the right-handed piano twinkles of opener “Mama Don’t Come” to the gorgeously hypnotic, looping closer, there’s an airy sense of space to these ten songs. Even the album’s most ornate material — the seven-minute title track, perhaps, with its climax of co-ed vocals and sweeping violin — is allotted enough room to breathe. When the orchestration becomes lush, Francis usually swoops in with a musical reprieve, be it a momentary break in a riff’s rhythm or a touch of reverb to widen the sound. Even more interesting is his love for subtle, esoteric flourishes: a dog barking in the middle of “The Devil’s Mountains,” right before the bluesy pedal steel gives way to mariachi horns; delayed violin in verse two of “Little Girl”; the church-like harmonies in “Dakota.” It’s impressive proof that Francis’ self-appointment as producer isn’t the result of some youthful ego trip, but rather the most logical choice for a penny-pinched teenager — or, for that matter, anyone whose music mirrors these rustic folk-pop strains. – All Music

with:
Lex Land || Listen
Amateurs || Listen
Avi Buffalo

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 01.12.09: Monday Night Residency – ROBERT FRANCIS / THE HORSETHIEVES / RED CORTEZ / EVAN (from Parason Red Heads)@ echo

Robert Francis || Watch

It would be an understatement to say that Francis’ musicianship belies his young age, as some of One’s best songs already harbor the rustic, world-weary quality that many artists spend their careers cultivating. Whether or not Francis has actually experienced the pastoral blues that color his lyrics is beyond the point; his dusty baritone and heartland imagery make the potential fib worthwhile. From the right-handed piano twinkles of opener “Mama Don’t Come” to the gorgeously hypnotic, looping closer, there’s an airy sense of space to these ten songs. Even the album’s most ornate material — the seven-minute title track, perhaps, with its climax of co-ed vocals and sweeping violin — is allotted enough room to breathe. When the orchestration becomes lush, Francis usually swoops in with a musical reprieve, be it a momentary break in a riff’s rhythm or a touch of reverb to widen the sound. Even more interesting is his love for subtle, esoteric flourishes: a dog barking in the middle of “The Devil’s Mountains,” right before the bluesy pedal steel gives way to mariachi horns; delayed violin in verse two of “Little Girl”; the church-like harmonies in “Dakota.” It’s impressive proof that Francis’ self-appointment as producer isn’t the result of some youthful ego trip, but rather the most logical choice for a penny-pinched teenager — or, for that matter, anyone whose music mirrors these rustic folk-pop strains. – All Music

with:
The Horsethieves
Red Cortez (formerly The Weather Underground)
Evan (from the Parson Red Heads)

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 01.05.09: Monday Night Residency – ROBERT FRANCIS / ANDREW FROM RADARS TO THE SKY / SEASONS / BOLLWEEVIL @ echo

Robert Francis || Watch

It would be an understatement to say that Francis’ musicianship belies his young age, as some of One’s best songs already harbor the rustic, world-weary quality that many artists spend their careers cultivating. Whether or not Francis has actually experienced the pastoral blues that color his lyrics is beyond the point; his dusty baritone and heartland imagery make the potential fib worthwhile. From the right-handed piano twinkles of opener “Mama Don’t Come” to the gorgeously hypnotic, looping closer, there’s an airy sense of space to these ten songs. Even the album’s most ornate material — the seven-minute title track, perhaps, with its climax of co-ed vocals and sweeping violin — is allotted enough room to breathe. When the orchestration becomes lush, Francis usually swoops in with a musical reprieve, be it a momentary break in a riff’s rhythm or a touch of reverb to widen the sound. Even more interesting is his love for subtle, esoteric flourishes: a dog barking in the middle of “The Devil’s Mountains,” right before the bluesy pedal steel gives way to mariachi horns; delayed violin in verse two of “Little Girl”; the church-like harmonies in “Dakota.” It’s impressive proof that Francis’ self-appointment as producer isn’t the result of some youthful ego trip, but rather the most logical choice for a penny-pinched teenager — or, for that matter, anyone whose music mirrors these rustic folk-pop strains. – All Music

with:
Andrew from Radars To The Sky
Seasons
Bollweevil

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Wednesday 12.17.08: JAIL WEDDINGS / THE GROWLERS / SOME DAYS @ echo

Jail Weddings || Listen || Watch

Way more fun/relevant/interesting was the opening act, Jail Weddings, the swampy homage-to-American-music nine man assemblage fronted by Gabe Hart, who was the deep throated creative force behind L.A.’s much missed garage rock band The Starvations. Flanked on each side like busty bookends by vocalists Tina “Tornado Jane” Brugnoletti and Katya Nadia Hubiak (Katya being especially generous with sharing her, umm, assets), Hart displayed once again his amazing capability to write and perform great songs. “I’m My Own Doctor” carried the pounding sweaty malevolence that The Starvations basically patented with their 2003 Gold Standard Labs album Get Well Soon, and “Mutual Fools,” is a memorable love song worthy of placement in the closing credits of some sweet-sad Jim Jarmusch-type movie. The combination of the singing trio with the six musicians at their rear, including guitar player Brian Waters of L.A.’s own white-boy soul machine Flash Express, lovely violinist Hannah Blumenfeld, and mustachioed saxophonist Brad Caulkins, calls for comparison to circa 1979 James White and the Blacks: The Blacks were basically a punk band playing jazz the way Jail Weddings is a garage band playing doo-wop. Jail Weddings, though, is way catchier. – LA Weekly

with:
The Growlers
Some Days

8:30pm / $7 / 18+

Tuesday 12.16.08: NATIVE FAUNA / GODS GANG / SPIRIT VINE / VUM @ Echo

Native Fauna || Watch

with:
Gods Gang
Spirit Vine || Listen
Vum

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

Thursday 01.08.09: SPACELAND ON ICE with WAIT.THINK.FAST @ Pershing Square

Spaceland Productions Presents:

Wait.Think.Fast.

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

FMI: Downtown On Ice

7pm / FREE / all ages

Tuesday 01.06.09: Indie 103.1 and Echo present CHECK ONE TWOSDAY with POP NOIR / THE PACIFIC/ THE FRANKS / ME LOVE YOU LONG TIME @ echoplex

Pop Noir
The Pacific
The Franks
Me Love You Long Time

8:30pm / Free until 10:30pm, $ 5 after / 18+

Monday 12.29.08: Manimal Vinyl Residency with RIO EN MEDIO / THE LICKETS / AMANDA JO WILLIAMS / BLACK HOLE OSCILLATORS @ echo

Rio En Medio || Watch

Danielle Stech Homsy (aka Rio en Medio), offers her music to the whims of chance. Citing influences such as John Cage and a childhood in which “peculiar circumstance and mysterious blessings were the norm,” she nearly overshadows her meticulously honed songcraft. While erratic electronics and found sounds dapple last year’s The Bride of Dynamite, Stech Homsy’s crisp, breezy voice and baritone ukulele give the flighty idiosyncrasies ground to stand on, should they choose to float back to earth. – Flavorpill

with:
The Lickets || Listen
Amanda Jo Williams || Listen
Black Hole Oscillators

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 12.22.08: Manimal Vinyl Residency with THE POLYAMOUROUS AFFAIR / VAGINALS / HALLOWEEN SWIM TEAM @ echo

The Polyamorous Affair || Listen || Watch

Simply put, the duo known as The Polyamorous Affair is a band on a mission. It is as if they are determined to achieve a past success but with a deeper appreciation for what it will feel like this time. Driven in the background by dueling dj’s lacing the beat that would move an AARP convention, The Polyamorous Affair is trying to build a sound, a movement all its own. Driven by an organic approach to music that lets them create, produce, and deliver their own, unique brand of pop-infused, pulsating dance music, the duo, headed by Eddie and Sissy are cultivating a sound that moves people to actually put their drinks down and dance. They stand behind their music, asking people to come along with them for a little part of their night as they take you on a music journey that just makes you feel good. – Loudvine

with:
Vaginals
Halloween Swim Team || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 12.15.08: Manimal Vinyl Residency with GANGI / BLACKBLACK / LACO$TE / VOICES VOICES @ echo

Gangi

When onetime folky Matt Gangi hit Manimal Vinyl’s showcase at the Cake Shop Tuesday with his band, aptly called Gangi, the fluttery shirts, shoestring headband, and acoustic strums I expected were nowhere to be found. Framed by shimmery curtains and Christmas lights, Matt and his mallet-wielding drummer Lyle Nesse occupied the stage with self-assurance and opened each song with a sound sample that segued into pre-recorded dance floor beats, synth, and rhythm guitar to form a backdrop for Gangi’s reedy vocals. At times the band’s sound recalled the Brian Jonestown Massacre’s psych-pop, and at others — particularly during “Animals” — Massachusetts duo the Books. But when Gangi ventured into the crowd, hand raised fervently above his head, comparisons seemed petty next to the charming enthusiasm of a musician putting aside freak folk archetypes and finding his own voice. – Spin.com

with:
BlackBlack || Listen
Laco$te || Listen
Voices Voices

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 12.08.08: Manimal Vinyl Residency with XU XU FANG / WINTER FLOWERS / CORRIDOR / EXITMUSIC @ echo

Xu Xu Fang || Listen

With slow waves of hushed sounds and swirling psychedelia, Xu Xu Fang’s new CD, The Mourning Son, rolls in like a fog and wraps your head in clouds. “Things are just okay,” a disembodied, world-weary voice intones amid the squalling guitars, spectral synths and formally decisive piano chords of “These Days.” It’s grand and dreamy stuff, followed by the similarly otherworldly title track, which chimes with a Velvety gloom. Band leader and producer Bobby Tamkin used to drum in the Warlocks, but Xu Xu Fang is a much more intriguing project. Unlike the Bore-locks, Xu Xu Fang are able to transform their funereal tempos into something truly mysterious and uniquely memorable. The pace picks up just a little on “Good Times,” whose shadowy groove and breathy singing belie its sunny title. – LA Weekly

with:
Winter Flowers || Listen
Exitmusic
Corridor

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Friday 12.12.08: Club Underground presents RUN RUN RUN / VON IVA @ echo

Run Run Run || Listen || Watch

Run Run Run seems to be edging slowly away from the shoegazer stylings that put the quartet on the L.A. map a few years ago. Oh, on cue from front man Xander Smith’s lyrics, the guitars will still ache and rustle and rumble, but on the band’s forthcoming new EP, “Good Company,” the approach is more straight-ahead. The new material was conceived in small town upstate New York and marked the first time the band had written songs as a group. – LA Times

with:
Von Iva || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 18+

Wednesday 11.26.08: Performer Mag & Isgoodmusic.com present THE FLYING TOURBILLON ORCHESTRA / I MAKE THIS SOUND / OBI BEST / PRINCETON @ echo

The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra || Watch

A languorous desert landscape of fractured pop punctuated with the rumbling crackle of spinning art-rock, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra’s new EP, Escapements, swings from dream-lathered reveries of hazy beauty to propulsive, churning nightscapes—songs that sound as if they are the heat-twisted, shimmering and sky-fallen debris after Lee Hazlewood and Scott Walker led a kamikaze nosedive into the 4AD records building.

As a teaser for the EP’s July 3rd release, Web in Front is offering a stream of two tracks after the jump: the sleepfever swirl of “In a Dream”’s hypnotic sway and nightmare visions as well as the shapeshifted, epic buildup of “Audry (love keeps moving)”’s schizoid dynamics. You can pick the EP up at the Orchestra’s Escapements release party concert at the Echo on July 3rd (also featuring the Stevenson Branch Davidians and Fol Chen. – Web In Front

with:
I Make This Sound || Listen
Obi Best
Princeton || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 11.18.08: WAIT.THINK.FAST / FOL CHEN / THE HECTORS / DJ PAJARO @ echo

Wait.Think.Fast.

An indie darkland of whirlpooled, noise-spiked atmospherics cut through by the lipcurled and smoke-hewn sensuousness of Jacqueline Santillan’s bilingual vocals and the sinewy crunch of wiry, Wire-y guitar lines, Wait.Think.Fast.’s Vuelve al Mar is nearly as complete a vision as any EP is allowed to be—in its thirty minutes the record swirls from the lean sinew of chiming postpunk (“Clear Our Name”) to ambient trickles of silvery, synthy beauty (“Cien Fuegos”), with each track in between bearing the band’s uniquely noirish stamp of gently apocalyptic (figure that one out) beauty. Sure, they echo a bit of the Bunnymen (Johnny Marr, too, but then that kills the pun), but that’s it—just echoes. The rest belongs to the band, and to those lucky enough to listen. – Web In Front

with:
Fol Chen
The Hectors || Listen
DJ Pajaro

8:30pm / FREE / 18+

Tuesday 11.18.08: Indie 103.1 & The Echo present – CHECK ONE TWOSDAY with EVEREST / THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE / NICO STAI / DAZZLER @ echoplex

Everest || Listen || Watch

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

with:
The Henry Clay People || Listen
Nico Stai
Dazzler (formerly Totally Radd)

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

8pm / FREE for 21+, $5 for 18+ / 18+

Monday 12.01.08: Monday Night Residency – WEAVE! / FOOLS GOLD / WE ARE THE WORLD / RAINBOW ARABIA @ echo

Weave!

Weave! is composed of Ivory Lee Carlson, Nicole Turley, Phillip Haut, and Bryan Lasley, all Los Angeles natives that have formed quite a unique sound. Something bordering the Moving Units and Blonde Redhead, this group manages to take bits and pieces of bands like that then mold them into their own tune. Gracing bars such as The Echo, The Smell, Mountain Bar and La Cita, this group obviously knows the hot come-up spots for LA indie bands and plans on continuing that path with their full length debut coming out summer of 2009. Big things for Weave!, so be on the look out. Check out their song “Bravery”. I dare you to try not to dance. – URB

with:
Fool’s Gold
We Are The World
Rainbow Arabia

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 11.24.08: Monday Night Residency – WEAVE! / CROOKED COWBOY / EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS / FAWNHAWK @ echo

Weave!

Weave! is composed of Ivory Lee Carlson, Nicole Turley, Phillip Haut, and Bryan Lasley, all Los Angeles natives that have formed quite a unique sound. Something bordering the Moving Units and Blonde Redhead, this group manages to take bits and pieces of bands like that then mold them into their own tune. Gracing bars such as The Echo, The Smell, Mountain Bar and La Cita, this group obviously knows the hot come-up spots for LA indie bands and plans on continuing that path with their full length debut coming out summer of 2009. Big things for Weave!, so be on the look out. Check out their song “Bravery”. I dare you to try not to dance. – URB

with:
Crooked Cowboy
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Fawnhawk

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 11.11.08: Indie 103.1 & Echo present – CHECK ONE TWOSDAY with EARLIMART / AFTERNOONS / RED CORTEZ / DAZZLER @ echoplex

Earlimart || Listen

The kind of emotion-drenched indie-pop that fills “Hymn and Her” is nothing new for Earlimart — the group delivered a fine album of confessional lyrics and inventive, engaging music last year with “Mentor Tormentor,” a major step in its steady rise toward the top tier of L.A. bands.

Releasing another full-length effort less than a year later is unusual, but the accelerated pace might account for the infusion of freshness that makes “Hymn and Her” so arresting.

The music crackles and trembles with a restless bravado that might have been muted with more time and deliberation, and in the process Earlimart brings its intimate conversations out of the confession booth and into the cathedral itself, where they expand to fill the vast space.

The group, now down to the duo of Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray, returns to its trusted tools — rich melody, a tone of taut urgency, clapping percussion, a strong sense of atmosphere and space, weird little things squirming in the far corners — but on this sixth album everything seems enhanced, raised to a new level. – LA Times

with:
Afternoons
Red Cortez (formerly The Weather Underground)
Dazzler (formerly Totally Radd)

8pm / FREE before 10:30pm, $5 after / 18+