Darker My Love and What's Going On

Thursday evening (October 2, 2008) I saw a great little set by Darker My Love at an Amoeba In-Store. Although I'd seen them a couple of years ago at Sunset Junction, there were so many great bands that day they didn't make a big impression on me. It wasn't until I saw them at the Troubadour in August that I realized how much I like their music. Their new CD, 2, was given away at that show and it has since become one of my most played.

Lots of bands blend loud, aggressive, propulsive rock and roll that's pierced through by sweet harmonic vocals, but Darker My Love and singers Tim Presley and Bob Barbato do it better than most I've heard, especially live. It's like oil and water together that actually mix.

Appearing before a rather spare crowd , due, no doubt, to the Biden/Palen debate going on at the same time, they played "Blue Day", "Two Ways Out", "Northern Soul" and "Waves" which segues into "Talking Words" from 2, and a couple of songs I didn't know that sounded as good as everything else.

Also impressive is the serious intent of these musicians. They appear to enjoy themselves, but play with equal parts precision and passion. I think they know the music they're playing is quite beautiful and they obviously want that to come across in their live performances. For me and the rest of the audience, it did.

It was definitely worth missing the sad spectacle that was on TV. Every time I hear the lady from Alaska speak, I think of a little kid dressed up in her mother's clothes speaking in a child's idea of grown-up talk. It's embarrassing to listen to.


I'm just about to depart for the eastern environs of Boston for 12 days to visit family and it's getting harder and harder to want to leave L.A. for any period at all. I almost had to lure myself there by getting tickets for two of my favorite bands to create a real reason to go. I arrive in Boston on Sunday and that night go to see Pinback at the Paradise (October 5) and I see Fleet Foxes at a sold out sit-down concert at the Somerville Theatre on Monday (October 6).

It'll be great to see family, and New England in October can be beautiful (or it can be shitty with endless grey skies and cold rain). Seriously, Boston is a really pretty city, and I have so many great memories of the late '60's and '70's living there. Running around like it was one big playground.

Before I go I must see more music. Tonight (October 3) it's The Henry Clay People and their record release party with The Parson Red Heads, Le Switch and Downtown/Union at Spaceland. Despite it being Friday night date night I expect a super crowd of local regulars to make the evening memorable. Certainly in anticipation of tomorrow's Eagle Rock Music Festival and The L.A. Weekly Detour Festival, spirits should be high. The Eagle Rock shindig is, I think, the show I'm going to regret missing forever.

So many bands I love are at Eagle Rock including Earlimart, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, Gangi, Amnion, The Parson Red Heads, Radar Brothers along with bands I don't even know I love yet, like Pizza!, Princeton, and The Black Pine. But, I've had a ticket forever to see The Swell Season along with Iron and Wine at the Greek that night. You see, I love those bands, too, and they won't come around that often. The last time I saw Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova was at the the Oscars and their concerts are incredible. So if I miss the Eagle Rock Music Festival, at least it's for a good reason. Plus I fly out of LAX at 8 AM the next morning.

If I were staying in L.A. these are the shows I would want to see:

Monday, October 6:
Rademacher, Radars To the Sky, Light FM, Broken Remotes (Incredible line-up!) at the Echo.
Manhattan Murder Mystery, Health Club, Die Rockers Die, Blue Jungle at Mr. T's Bowl.

Thursday, October 9:
Saint Motel, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, Listing Ship, Writer at Pehrspace (how I'd love to see FTO there).

Friday, October 10:
The Minor Canon, Physics of Meaning (love that name), One Trick Pony at Pehrspace (just move there for two days).
Imaad Wasif (always amazing) at Spaceland.

Sunday, October 12:
Inara George, Greg Kurstin at Tangier.
No Age, The Movies at Echoplex.

Monday, October 13:
Rademacher, Eagle and Talon, Exit Music, The Transmissions (This band is hot, and their new EP is incredible!) at the Echo.
Manhattan Murder Mystery, Guppies (heard them for the first time at Echo Curio last week and was very impressed), The Savages at Mr. T's Bowl.

Lots of great local bands and great music. Take advantage of it for me!

whrabbit