DOWNTOWN/UNION 11:30p
THE 1921a 10:30p
PRIDE OF KENYA 8:30p
NOCTURNES 9:30p
DOWNTOWN/UNION
An up and coming low-fi art rock band from Los Angeles, Downtown/Union are quirky, almost excessively so, but back up their occasional flights into yelping, self-aware eccentricity with solid pop hooks and musical chops. Somewhere between The Pixies and Modest Mouse, they're less deliberately subversive than either; "Do What You Do" opens this EP with a pleasantly bouncing song encouraging relaxation in the face of hardship, sort of like Modest Mouse's "Float On" without the mainstream radio saturation, and "Low Down Dirty Walk" is a crunchy but upbeat take on good old-fashioned American garage rock. "Til You're Home" is a song about missing a loved one, but it's more fun than morose, thanks in part to punk-flavored guitar chords on the chorus, and "Vanward Aye Aye" injects a sense of wistful reminiscence while the major key guitars and yipping vocals keep things upbeat. It's not that Downtown/Union don't occasionally tackle darker, more serious themes, but at its heart this is unapologetically fun rock 'n' roll music; they have fun playing it, from the sound of things, and that makes it fun to listen to.
Cheers to all those who secured M. Ward tickets for tonight! Here's one from a bit ago, and what he ended his KCRW set with yesterday.
Chief among my professional regrets last year was that nobody asked me what my favorite 11 albums of 2008 were, which therefore limited the praise I had opportunity to shower upon Volume One by She & Him, M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel's totally charming folk-pop duo. Fortunately, this year might provide a corrective, since Ward's just-released Hold Time has already earned a provisional spot on my 2009 Top 10: Like the Ventura County native's last several solo discs, Hold Time sounds like a reissue of a record that never actually existed in the first place; nobody swirls together country, soul and pop as effortlessly as Ward, whose super-busy session-dude schedule obviously hasn't harmed the health of his own songwriting in the slightest. Ward's handlers are campaigning for a mainstream breakthrough this time out — dig this month's admiring features in both the New York and Los Angeles Times. Next time he's here the setting might not be so cozy. - Mikael Wood, LA Weekly
Tonight is the infamous Margarita Wednesday in Echo Park at the Barragan's. That means tasty margs for 2.50 all night and complimentary chips and salsa. And to sweeten the deal FREE nachos bar B4 7:30. SO come early. and rumor has it there will be free margarita tickets given away all night. Hump Day never tasted so sweet.
See ya tonight in the Park
-the Barragan's
The Gold Room is an attitude-free oasis of cantilevered-breasted waitresses, cheap drinks, hard men escaping the ball n’ chain (you see no women here except what the hipsters drag in), as well as banda blasting from the juke. Free food is often on the agenda as well, with free peanuts, popcorn, and sometimes even tacos being slung along with your Pacifico.
While all this sounds too good to be true, The Gold Room is actually a well-oiled machine with an interesting and innovative way to deal with gentrification. Everyone is welcome to dine, drink, and make good friends with the friendly regulars, but unwritten bar policy has it that only two small tables of punky invaders is allowed at a time. Sure enough, the second this policy is violated by some messy-haired too-cool-for-school guitar hero, every regular in the joint gets one free sock to the stomach of said interloper. It is a very nice, efficient system for keeping gentrification in check and The Gold Room in the hands of those who need it and love it. – L.A. TACO
"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+
¡¡¡ MARK YOUR CALENDARS !!!
"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
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