What is in a name, like the one possessed by Nico Stai? Nico is an L.A. based musician and his new release, his 3rd in all, The Victory Of Miss Friday is his most decisive to date. The trappings of creating records has not affected Nico as it is apparent on his newest creation. The music is entrapping, grabbing your brain cells and lulling you into a beautiful stupor. Bob Dylan, you have company now …., someone who can create a stunningly simple acoustic piece and reign in a legion of fans, but with consumer friendly smooth vocals. The music on The Victory Of Miss Friday has engaging rhythms like with in the track “Scream,” which has ensnaring vocals of the pleasant and hypnotic gesture along with driving acoustic rhythms and above all, horns. Any artist that incorporates horns into their music is my hero. “The Skies Over Your Head” offers something different, a strumming bass line behind the acoustic guitar with Nico’s urging vocals lying overhead. Dead Pony was an advancement for Nico but this is the just deserts. Stunning acoustic movements with frantic moments here and there are Nico’s calling card. Go check them out and make Nico Stai your next musical love. Check him out this March at for his Monday night residency at Spaceland. -Jeffrey Easton
With:
Eastern Conference Champions || Listen
Pop Noir || Listen
Hesta Prynn
8:30pm / FREE / 21+
BOB MOULD
Hotel Cafe
Watch this!!!
First, there was Hüsker Dü, one of the most important post-punk bands of the '80s, and partially responsible for R.E.M., Nirvana, and the Pixies. Then there was Sugar, the Bob Mould-fronted trio which, in the early '90s, saved distorted guitars from grunge's chokehold. Since then, Mould's recorded nine solo albums, run a record label, played tons of gigs with friends like Patti Smith and Vic Chesnutt, hosted a gay-D.C. dance event called Blowoff (which might explain the electronic-ness of last year's album District Line), written plotlines for the World Wrestling Federation and completed a soon-to-be-released autobiography. So it seems the new bald, bearded and kinda buff Bob is warming up to his legacy while continuing to craft it. That's evident on his new album, Life and Times (out in April), complete with dirty lyrics, messy punk growls, and the wide spectrum of sound and storytelling Bob Mould fans haven't heard in a while. Like his first solo album, Workbook (1989), Life and Times is a stripped-down return to the basics Bob does best. - Wendy Gilmartin, LA Weekly
Summer Darling || Listen || Watch
Based in Los Angeles and formed in 2002, Summer Darling began as a three piece indie pop band with an interest in songwriting and melody. Comprised of vocalist / songwriter Ben Heywood, drummer / guitarist Dan Rossiter and bassist/vocalist Heather Bray, they released the “What’s Done is Done EP” shortly thereafter, handcrafting each CD individually. In 2004 they collaborated with producer Frank Lenz (Pedro the Lion/Richard Swift/Starflyer 59) for the full length record “I Know You, I Never Knew You” and again released it themselves.
The last few years have seen Summer Darling chart a different direction. With the addition of Loop Haro on drums and a more group-oriented approach to song crafting, 2008’s “Health of Others” is the first of 3 digital EPs to be released this year, representing a new dynamic style. On it, Summer Darling explores the relationship between infidelity and retribution. The songwriting focuses on a more band-oriented approach, resulting in a more dynamic and symphonic sound. - Insomnia Radio
with:
Writer || Listen
The Monolators || Listen or watch down below:
The Hectors || Listen
DJ Velvet Touch
8:30pm / FREE / 21+
¡¡¡ MARK YOUR CALENDARS !!!
Fujiya and Miyagi || Listen || Watch
It’s an odd thing when a band adds a drummer, and instead of building on the electro-funk of older material, the sound becomes more abstract. Yet that’s exactly what Fujiya & Miyagi’s members accomplished on their new album, Lightbulbs. The band says that new member Lee Adams speeds the action forward on drums, but this time around, the synths are dreamier and David Best’s biting vocals are breathier.
In a session recorded by KEXP at the Gibson Showroom during the CMJ Music Festival, Fujiya & Miyagi opt for Lightbulbs material, and despite the ambient funk of the CD, the live drums add a little more oomph in the studio. The band ended the set with an unreleased song, “Sick and Tired,” a piano-driven romper that sounds like David Bowie’s “Suffragette City” on a heavy krautrock kick. - NPR
with:
Pop Levi
Project Jenny, Project Jan || Listen
MOVED TO ECHO
1822 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
LES BLANKS
Silverlake Lounge
LES BLANKS 11p
DIRT DRESS 10p
SHIRLEY ROLLS 12a
HUNTING ACCIDENT 9p
LES BLANKS
"Sleazy…nasty…seventies rock ‘n roll. If that’s your bag (and why wouldn’t it be) add Les Blanks to your radar, as they are just that — only they exist in the here and now of the 21st century. Easy touchstones for the band’s live sound would be a little CCR crossed with the soul of early Jon Spencer Blues Explosion." -aquariumdrunkard.com "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. Drummer Brian Soika shows his obvious affinity towards a teetered, snaretight percussive approach, while bassist Parker Todd Brooks underscores Soika’s energy with full, well-mixed support." -Performer Magazine
"No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive." Mahatma Gandhi
No Culture is an L.A. based collective of musicians, djs, producers, designers, promoters, photographers, and bloggers interested in playing and creating new and exciting music and memorable events.
They may have an Ivy-bred name, but Eagle Rock, CA’s Princeton are more concerned with chamber-pop than condescension. Comprised of brothers Jesse and Matt Kivel, plus longtime pal Ben Usen, Princeton combine the Glaswegian gloom of Tigermilk-era Belle and Sebastian with sublime orchestration and Vampire Weekend’s bouncy, lilting rhythmic structures to formulate a sound that will send listeners off to a regal pop Valhalla. Check out the fluttering woodwinds and galloping melody of “Ms. Bentwich.” - Spin.com
with:
Cut Off Your Hands || Listen
8:30pm / $8 / 21+
"The Voyeurs are your new favorite band you haven't seen yet"-Classical Geek Theater
“It's tunes like these that gets me excited about music again.” –Rock Insider
Here's some video of Soko's last and only known L.A. performance:
Echo Park Named One of Top 10 Great Neighborhoods
And when you hear that, you might find yourself asking which Realtor came up with that ranking. Luckily, this time there is some creditability behind the designation: the American Planning Association. They "singled out Echo Park because of its breathtaking topography set in the hills above downtown, historic architecture, pedestrian-oriented streets and stairways, and engaged residents who, over the years, have gone to great lengths to protect and preserve their community," according to an APA release (add: their website has more info and history on why EP was chosen) .... more after you click on the image!
SUBMIT YOUR PICTURES!!!
THE MAE-SHI @ Spaceland
THE MOVIES @ Spaceland
DENGUE FEVER @ Viper Room
No comments:
Post a Comment