Feed Your Head presents it's 3rd Show

I am happy to announce a show presented by How To Fight Records, Dramaturgy and Feed Your Head, with a bunch of great bands including one of my personal favorites, Manhattan Murder Mystery.

Will post more details later:


whrabbit

Le Loup at The Echo (10/28/09)

I'd been looking forward to this show for a long time, ever since last April (2008) to be exact. That was the first time Le Loup played L.A. and I was a new fan who was thrilled by the energy and quirky creativity Sam Simkoff and his band displayed.

The songs off the first album were mighty strange and yet hypnotically enticing. Not unlike Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear, it seems Sam Simkoff first recorded his material all by himself and the need for a band came later, and like Grizzly Bear, he surrounded himself with equally gifted musicians, forming a collaborate effort.

That show was also at The Echo and I think there were seven members of the band them. But however many, it was a celebration of music and tribal beats and dancing. Sam is one of the best dancer/singers I've seen. And when four or so members of the band circle around the second drum set (up front) and bang away, well, it just goes right through you.

The band was quiet for over a year while they worked on their second album, Family, which was released September 22, and what a revelation that was. The band, whose current lineup includes Christian Ervin, Michael Ferguson, Robert Sahm and Jim Thomson, has congealed and is now writing songs that are tightly structured gems with an astonishing array of influences and lyrics that are intelligent and thought-provoking . Nothing, it seems, is off limits.

The first song, "Saddle Mountain" starts off like a Gregorian chant and moves into the rhythm and pattern of Renaissance dance music. Unbelievable. Layering on drums and a variety of percussion, the whole thing suddenly makes you want to dance.

Another song, "Morning Song" begins like a Muslim call to prayer and segues into an African tribal chant, or a jug band, but always the top priority is melody and these song stick in your head like they won't let go. Sometimes the vocal choir effects remind me of Grizzly Bear or even Fleet Foxes, but then banjo picking or a tribal beat starts up and they're in a territory all their own. The music is nothing if not unpredictable, constantly keeping you guessing. I think it's brilliant songwriting.

The whole interior of The Echo just melted away the minute they began as they played many of the best songs from Family and a couple of the most amazing songs from the first CD, The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly like "Outside of This Car, the End of the World" and "We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!".

Apart from Sam's vocals occasionally not being loud enough, generally the sound was excellent, especially on the vocal patterns and harmonies when everybody was singing. Using pre-recorded samples for some of the more complex numbers made the band seem larger than they are.

A modest crowd was, nonetheless hugely enthusiastic and demanded an encore, which I was grateful for. I could have listened to them for three hours.

whrabbit

his Orchestra at the Light FM Residency

On Monday, October 19, 2009, I headed on over to Spaceland, not only to see Light FM and to pick up their new CD, Let There Be Light FM, but to see his Orchestra (at right). I happened on this band much the same way as I discovered Division Day, and in the very same venue. Walking into Spaceland to see the headliner a couple of years ago, I ran into Division Day midway through their set and was immediately transfixed by the gorgeous sound emanating from the stage and the hook-laden inspiration of their writing.

I snapped up the CD, Beartrap Island then and there and it became one of my favorites of the year. I only saw part of their set, but became obsessed with trying to see them again, yet as the weeks turned into months, I was foiled time and again by competing concerts. I have since seen them many times. Same thing with his Orchestra.

I went to see The Wooden Birds on May 28th, this year, and walked into the last three or four songs by h.O. and was flabbergasted by the music. I remember looking around to see if anyone else was noticing and saw Spaceland full of people staring, mouths agape, at the band on stage.

I recall the spectacular harmony vocals and the furious sawing away of three band members on violins. It was sublime and electrifying. I picked up their CD Field Guide To the Wilds, and upon first listening, decided this was one of the best bands I've heard. For so young a group, they play and perform with a passion and joy and solid professionalism most groups can only hope to emulate.

This would be only my second exposure to the band live, and now I not only knew the music, but every single lyric. Douglas took the stage alone, to begin with a simple acoustic folk song, but before long was joined by Whitney at the keyboard who sang harmonies. A guy dancing in front climbed on stage and donned a guitar, another climbed up on stage and sat at the drums and gradually his Orchestra took shape on stage.

The first song was unfamiliar, but every bit as good as all their other compositions. Which is to say excellent. Every song lifted me higher and my opinion of the band rose accordingly. they sang "Black Coffin", "Hybernation" and my favorite, "Interesting End of the Day" from the CD, among a selection of early material I'd never heard. But it was the finale of "Since I" that was so powerful and theatrically extravagant that set my heart soaring. I can't believe how perfect this band sounds. his Orchestra are just one of life's special things.

I'll talk about Light FM's wonderful set when I review their new CD, Let There Be Light FM at Radio Free Silver Lake next Tuesday.

whrabbit

In A Reflective Mood

Sorry to neglect my Feed Your Head fans, but this year is accelerating at such a rapid pace, I'm struggling to keep up. Never in the wildest dreams of my youth could I have imagined that, approaching 60, I would be having the time of my life, and that it would involve rock and roll.

Caught up in this whirlwind of a current music scene that is so vibrant and inspiring, discovering how much I love writing has been a revelation and had given me more fulfillment than, perhaps, anything else I've ever done.

Music always had a powerful hold over me. I'm told by family that I was rocking back and forth, hour after hour, to the same record, over and over, by the age of three, and by four, I was consciously amassing favorite records. But, never having the confidence, or believing I had any talent to pursue music, I tried and failed at various instruments, though whenever we visited a house with a piano, I would go right for it. We had a piano in our house until I was about 14, but I couldn't get the hang of piano lessons, so I taught myself to play my favorite songs by ear. (I'm sure in a most perfunctory way). I never entertained the notion of a life's pursuit of music and thus, I gravitated to the visual arts, where I have made a home for myself to this day.

But I remained a constant music listener, constant in that it filled nearly every waking hour of my existence well into my thirties, with current music recceeding further and further into the background during the 1980's. I blame it on Reagan. Music just lost it's relevance for me and I lost interest. From 1990 to 2005 I probably heard all of 6 different new rock songs in that span and didn't look any further.

Since I fell down this rock and roll rabbit hole on August 1, 2005, (I remember the moment), of course, I have been educated by people, and, indeed there were pockets of greatness here and there in the bleak landscape. But distribution was so fucked up back then by the major labels and corporations that indie music was hard for an ordinary person to find. Or purposely squelched.

What's happening now seems so different than anything that's gone before, partly because nobody knows where it's going, or even how long this creative energy level can be maintained by so many talented artists at the same time. But the controls are off, and the boundaries have been knocked down, and there's a spirit of cooperation that bodes well for the future. It's why I've become a believer in the theory that, as far as rock and roll is concerned, the best is not in the past, but in the future. When I discovered this, after observing for about a year, I became determined to be a part of it, to try to contribute something. So I started blogging.

Tonight I begin a run of five show in five days (if I can hold out), from Darker My Love tonight at Echoplex, to Grizzly Bear (below) on Tuesday at the Palladium. I'll keep you posted.

WOO HOO!

Just heard that Avi Buffalo have signed with Sub Pop Records. Congratulations on a well deserved placemant to my friends, Avi, Sheridan, Rebecca and Arin.

whrabbit

September - Various Shows and Sets

So many memorable shows and events have been happening lately that I can't keep up. Never did I expect what writing a music blog would bring. Every day there seems to be more opportunity, another path to follow, more people to meet, more fun to be had. The friends I've made in the music community are best surprise of all. Kind of revives my faith in humanity. (Provided I can continue to avoid tea-baggers and other knuckle-draggers.) Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglove of The Swell Season, above.

September has been a good month for shows beginning with Mew wowing a sold out crowd at The Troubadour on the 1st, followed by Division Day 's record release show the following night at Spaceland. The Happy Hollows spectacular performance was next, on the 4th, for their own release party for Spells, which was also a party to remember.

On Sunday, Sept. 6th, I attended the Rodgers and Hammerstein concert at the Hollywood Bowl, which was specifically set up to honor the film versions (and their orchestrations) of the original Broadway shows. (scene from The King and I above) They showed selections from the films with the orchestral tracks removed, and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra provided live underscoring, conducted by the son of Alfred Newman (one of the original orchestrators) David Newman. It was like dying and going to Rodgers and Hammerstein heaven for someone who was raised on these things.

Elaine Layabout hosted one helluva "Hella Hipster Hoedown" featuring eight scheduled bands, including Crooked Cowboy, Les Blanks and Country Pizza!, but it was Telegraph Canyon (above), who took the stage near midnight, that played a near perfect set of their beautifully written rock. Hailing from Texas, they were here a couple of months ago for another hoedown, but since seeing them then, I got hooked on their wonderful CD, The Tide and The Current. Now, I knew the material and to hear them deliver such a powerful and serious performance, it was almost humbling. They really impressed those present and we were still talking about it days later.

On Saturday, the 12th, I saw an impressive show by Brendan Benson at The Troubadour, that opened with a set by Frank Fairfield that had the crowd cheering. From the 17th to the 20th I took in four shows in four days beginning with the Sea Wolf/Afternoons/Sara Lov night at The Troubadour and back to the same venue the following night for Everest and The Parson Red Heads which made for two nights on the West Side of sterling East Side indie rock.

Friday was the Release party for Cobra Lilies, hosted by Elaine, again at the Legion 206 in Highland Park, which included a fashion show that involved murder, and a wonderfully hypnotic, oddball set from Amanda Jo Williams followed by a set by Tommy Santee Klaws (above) that showed the uninitiated what I have been raving about the last few months. This is one amazing band with a wholly unique sound that left people breathless.

Sunday was the engrossing show at the Masonic Lodge of Hollywood Forever Cemetery with The Swell Season where Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova enchanted a great Los Angeles audience in one of the best shows of the year. I reviewed it for Radio Free Silver Lake.

I got to present my second show last Friday, September 25, together with Dramaturgy, featuring The Faraway Places, who delivered their '60's influenced indie rock with great style and conviction, following a real audience grabbing set of Creedence Clearwater Revival covers by Ramble Scramble that had the rather large crowd dancing. The Health Club I enjoy more and more each time I see them and their assured playing is what makes this post-punk garage band stand out.

Sunday, The 25th Annual Abbot Kinney Festival in Venice was my first time at this event and I have to confess, I barely saw the Festival itself, positioning myself in front of the Brooks Little Radio Stage from Dios through Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros and saw five remarkable bands in a row. Dios sang wonderful songs from their latest CD, and sounded revitalized by the new material. Followed by a tight set by a three member version of The Parson Red Heads (Sam, Brett and Evan, in photo) who sang beautiful three-part harmonies. French singer/now indie rocker, Soko, was a real surprise, giving us country-tinged psychedelic rock that I fell for on the spot. Eskimo Hunter play a kind of easy, melodic indie rock style that is probably my favorite and I was glad to finally see this band and, as of now, they are the band I want to see again immediately. Really beautiful music.

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros (above photo by Michael Camacho for LAist)were a revelation. Just before they took the stage, there was a sudden rush of media that flooded the stage. The buzz on this band must be huge and I must say, judging from this performance, the rush is justified. An electric set was performed, with Edward, not 16 inches from my face at times and it was a superb way to get to know them. I saw them once before at El Cid at 1 AM the night of the '08 Sunset Junction and they played for about 14 friends that night. A LOT has happened since then.

Blitzen Trapper finally played the set I've been waiting to see them play on Monday, Sept 28, at El Rey. Seeing them last year at a packed, hot Echo was a great introduction, but not ideal. I wasn't close enough, though I loved the music. Last July at the Hollywood Bowl, they were undone by the requirement that the opening bands play softly, and across a gulf of indifferent concertgoers. So this show was what Blitzen Trapper are all about. The photo a right is from the Glass House, shot by Doug Kresse. A string of unforgettable songs, great sound, great lights. They play irresistibly rocking songs, occasionally pausing for a song of quiet reflection that is so lovely and profound, there is no lapse in audience concentration. Highlight brilliant new songs from their EP, Black River Killer, the new songs were my favorites of the night, though "God and Suicide" is still one of my favorite songs of all. I'll write a fuller review of this show later.

The month ended with Kevin Bronson's First Anniversary celebration of his Buzzbands blog with a show by Eastern Conference Champions and Voxhaul Broadcast, each releasing EP's at the same event. Both are bands I've heard about over and over, but have neglected to see before, and both were absolutely electric. Terrific songwriting and musicianship with charismatic lead singers, they had the large turnout primed and enthusiastic. Congratulations to Kevin and the most comprehensive music blog in town.

Now we move on to October and what may be the busiest month of the year.

whrabbit

New EP: Seasons "Summer"

The Summer of Seasons is the new EP release by the Highland Park orchestra, and yes, they are an orchestra that expands and contracts with each live show. This means that the songs I have have grown to love, over the many times I have seen them live, have no rigid, formal shape. Whether there's an accordion or not, three guitars of two, one tambourine player or a tambourine section of five (I saw that once), the songs are molded to the evening's ensemble makeup.

That's why hearing the recorded versions is a little jarring to someone who isn't used to getting to know songs live before knowing the final formal versions. Like someone sat them down and said, "just concentrate on the damned song". The result is slightly tamer, more structured takes on the compositions, with the benefit of a clearer understanding of what the songs are and the knowledge that this band knows exactly what it's doing.

It begins with a simmering sound, like when you're laying on the summer beach and watching the waves that ripple up from the hot sand, and the beat begins, pulling you into "The Weight", which is one of Seasons' best songs. Beginning quietly, Nic lures you in before cutting loose with his trademark roars that proves he means what he's saying, "get off my back!" Highlighted by astute guitar work and John's twinkling piano, it's a real, typical Seasons grabber.

Then the album goes heavy into summer mode with three relaxed, laid back ballads that make no demands except you sit back and enjoy. I haven't seen them do this live so the direction is unexpected. When they performed this at the EP release party I presented in August it was given their characteristic swirl of psychedelia. On disc, you hear the songs beneath the swirl.

They finish with a new take on "The Sea" that becomes a battle to the death between Godzilla and Ghidrah as the monsters roar and the relentless beat pounds and then breaks into a dance beat that always makes a live audience crazy with movement.

I kind of miss the ramshackle quality of their first CD, but as a companion piece to their previous EP, Spring, this is a natural progression. I've been listening to it for a month now and wanted to wait till it sank in to comment, and it's an interesting step for this remakably talented band.

whrabbit

above photo: CGT

Reminder...

Just want to urge everyone to attend the show I'm presenting with Dramaturgy at Mr. T's Bowl this Friday.

Great bands, great people, great dance party...



whrabbit