The Voyeurs @ Comic Bug, Manhattan Beach, 3/21/08

Rockin'? Absolutely. Poppy? For sure. Catchy? Hell yes. South Bay music giants John Hylander (lead vocals, keys, guitar), his cousin Joe Hylander (guitar), Jesse Hoffman (bass), and Sean Johnson (drums) make up the quintet "The Voyeurs", which includes 3/4 of "E>K>U>K" (which was forced to disengage after Raymond left the band).

The Voyeurs are here to serve you up generous garage sized pop portions of harmonious crunch and just enough Big Muff to leave you wanting more. They play short shows because they are still a fresh new band. How do they differ from E>K>U>K? Well, they're less jangly, less explosive, and more mature. The vocal harmonies are much more up front, there's more balance between uppers and downers, there's more of a folky psych loungey vibe on some tracks, and they sort of have that 60s British Invasion sound. Think The Kinks and The Zombies. Also, I don't recall keyboards or acoustic guitars on many or any E>K>U>K songs.

This band definitely has a lot more early 20's talent than most bands in the South Bay (not that there's many to choose from). Sean Johnson (the only great local drummer that I know besides Maxwell Demon's Martin Avelar) pounds through each song with extreme energy, and his facial expressions and arching eyebrows definitely make drumming look exciting as hell. It's no wonder he's been in so many great bands since the days of high school: local surf giants from the past "From", "E>K>U>K", and currently, the jazzy Zappaesque "Vaudeville". Now, I'm not going to lie, I don't know much about drums, but I do know that in some bands, the drummer goes completely unnoticed and serves little help to the band besides being a human metronome. Not Sean Johnson. When you're good, you're good...this guy is fucking incredible.

John Hylander, the local recording engineer mastermind, plays the Nord Electro 2 keyboard, which adds a great subtle psychedelic pop touch to their tunes, and you know what? I realized something was never evident in the past...his vocals actually sound a great deal like Dave Grohl's, especially when the choruses kick in. And Joe Hylander kinda looks like Kurt Cobain, too! I'm sure these guys are grateful there's no Novoselic lookalike in the mix.

Jesse Hoffman and Joe Hylander of the mindblowing "Fragments of an Imagination" (formerly known as "JH and the Squares" both stand near each other as if channeling

each other's confidence and statute skills on bass and guitar; they may be the youngest in the band, but that doesn't mean they don't know what they're doing. They both make their tasks look extremely easy. I've seen these guys improvise jamming before, and they definitely know their shit.

Stay tuned for these guys...they all have the skills to backup success, the friendly personalities to keep you hanging out after the show is done, and a dedicated local fanbase. Keep the scene alive, and go check them out at Charlie O's in downtown LA on May 8th, Mariposa Cafe in LA on May 17th, All Star Lanes on June 29th, and the 4th of July at

Mr. T's Bowl in Highland Park! They will be sharing the stages with The Henry Clay People, The Rolling Blackouts, and The Monolators!

The Voyeurs - Things That People Say, 3/21/08

Neon Neon @ The Viper Room, 3/18/08

Neon Neon is a collaboration between Gruff Rhys (frontman of Super Furry Animals) and musician/producer Boom Bip.  They are probably the most convincing 80's throwback band I have seen, and they sound just amazing live.  Full and fat synths, keytars,  cowbells, double necked bass and guitars...they've definitely got the instrumentation down.  

Neon Neon got everyone (yes, EVERYONE!) shaking their hips and bobbing their heads this St. Patty's day at the Viper Room.  They played tracks off their debut Stainless Style, including "I Told Her On Alderaan", "I Lust U", "Belfast", and "Raquel".

The biggest surprise of the night was the amazingly entertaining and overweight Har Mar Superstar, who raps on a couple album tracks, but I had no clue he'd actually be touring with them.  He sweated the night away with his performance of "Sweat Shop" where he apparently freestyled most of the song because the lyrics weren't the same on the album.

Outside the Viper Room were a couple DeLorean's, just chilling.  They had to be on tour with Neon Neon because people were taking pictures in them and they were open to the public.

Go catch Neon Neon while you still can; the two frontmen are extremely busy with other main projects, and this band may not be around for long.

I couldn't help but go crazy with the effects on this one:

Beach House @ Echoplex, 3/13/08

This show was originally scheduled for The Echo, but when they pushed the early show from 6:30 to 8:30, and then realized the amount of people that were in line, they moved it downstairs (literally) to the Echoplex.

Balitmore's Beach House is consisted of singer/keyboardist Victoria Legrand, and guitarist Alex Scally (who has only been playing guitar for 4 years, when the band formed!).  Together they craft tranquilizing tunes and melancholy melodies that have been known to produce an opiate like effect on listeners.  This ain't your Friday night jamz (don't click on that, and don't say I didn't warn you!); these are downer songs...but everyone needs a downer sometimes, right?

The Echoplex filled up with a room full of scenester zombies, who didn't talk much, didn't move much, hell, I don't even know if they were breathing.  But that's the way it goes when you're the living dead, I suppose.  

They opened with album opener "Wedding Bell" off their amazing recently released sophomore LP Devotion.  WOW!  This isn't shoegaze, I don't understand why they needed the volume so damn high!  It did not help their sound at all!  

They went on to play tracks such as "You Came to Me", "Apple Orchard", and Devotion's first single "Gila", which is indie's answer to that really fucking Rihanna song "Umbrella".  God I hate that shit so much.

Highlight of the night?  Answer: THE DAILY DOUBLE!  What is: a very drowsy cover of Daniel Johnston's "Some Things Last"!

Beach House sounded just as good live as on their two albums, which I absolutely fucking love, by the way, and highly recommend going to pick them up RIGHT NOW!   I would not rush to see them at a standing venue again, however, as this is music best suited for mopy midnight mattress melt-aways (what a great band name!).   They are about to embark upon a large European tour with some Washington's finest Fleet Foxes, one of my favorite new artists of the year!!!

Beach House - Gila

The Ting Tings @ Rec Center Studio, 3/11/08

The Ting Tings are a serious Myspace buzz band. They hail from Salford, Northwest UK, and have been hitting the hipster shit fan like crazy lately (with over 350,000 hits to their song "That's Not My Name" . They follow in the footsteps of other British female-fronted hip-hop dance artists (Lady Sovereign comes to mind). But Lady Sovereign tries too hard, and she has anxiety attacks on stage. Not The Ting Tings' frontgirl Katie White.

The entire show, she exuberated copious amounts of sass and energy in her music. She's very skinny and small, but it doesn't mean she can't take charge with arms flailing, a sharp tongue, and a serious talent for some mean and poppy dance rhythm guitar (à la Modest Mouse's Float On on a couple songs).

The songs I heard on Myspace before the show didn't catch my ear that much, but live, the Ting Tings put on a really tight show with a great pop. And now after going back to hear some of their tracks again, they really grew on me.

They opened with the dancey "Great DJ" and played only 7 songs total the entire night. Too bad the set was so damn short. It's hard to judge a band that is still in such an early stage of infancy, but once these guys come out with a new album, I'm sure they'll be huge.

I also highly recommend the Rec Center Studio in Echo Park. It's literally a block or two from the Echo (with free parking in the same lot), and is a very cool and modern artsy spot with a ultra chic and refreshing vibe.

Sarah White was super friendly outside the Rec Center after the show. She talked with fans about how happy she was to be in LA, received many compliments on her performance, and hung out for a while.

5/8/08: The Ting Tings' Shut up and Let Me Go was recently featured in a new iPod commercial:

The Raveonettes / Be Your Own Pet @ the El Rey Theatre, 3/4/08

Nashville four-piece rockers Be Your Own Pet opened for The Raveonettes tonight.  I had previously seen them at the Troubadour a year or two ago around the time their first album came out, and they were good for what they are.  I honestly cannot say I am a huge fan.  I do appreciate their youth and raw energy and all that stuff, but there are just too many bands out there today, and I've been to too many amazing shows in the past year for these guys to leave much of a mark in my memory. 

However, their new album Get Awkward just came out and it's been getting pretty good reviews.  Also, it doesn't hurt that they were discovered by Thurston Moore and are under his Ecstatic Peace label...so check them out!  They sing songs about high school crushes, popping pills, food fights, taking it in the ass, and sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll!  Very original lyrics.

Danish duo The Raveonettes are so rad live.  I previously saw them at Spaceland last year, and they have so many new amazing songs since then.  It was really great to be able to catch them at such a small and intimate venue like that, but a band with such a fucking huge sound really feels at home at the El Rey.

Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo (with a fresh haircut) came out to a full house at the El Rey, and true to form, they were of very few words, extremely sexy and stylish, and confident as hell. Some uber Euro chick with a short haircut joined them, standing up the entire time, and pounding on two electronically altered snares. They opened up with "Hallucinations", and continued with more tracks off their newborn baby Lust Lust Lust.

I have to point out that the lighting at this show was among the best I have ever seen in my life.  I will not soon forget the transitional shifts from blue to green to violet.  I'm no expert in stage lighting, but I do know that they definitely put a lot into their lighting.  It really makes for a hypnotizing show.  

Lust Lust Lust is hands down (my pants) one of my favorite albums of the past 12 months.  It's their heaviest, loudest, and lustiest album yet.  These songs transfer to the stage amazingly, and it doesn't hurt that they look so damn good on stage.

The Raveonette's setlist:

Hallucinations

Dead Sound

That Great Love Sound

Let's Rave On

Lust

Red Tan

Love In A Trashcan

Expelled From Love

Attack of the Ghost Riders

You Want The Candy

Black Satin

Blush

French Disko

Aly, Walk With Me

Here are a few videos I managed to capture at the El Rey:

Lust:

Let's Rave On:

Dead Sound:

Love in a Trashcan:

The Magnetic Fields @ The Henry Fonda Theatre, 3/3/08

I arrived to the Henry Fonda much too early only to discover rows of high school graduation white plastic foldout chairs covering the floor, with people scattered scarcely watching the overly dramatic and annoying theatrics of “Interstellar Radio Company” performing an inappropriately whimsical and jubilant seated musical version Edgar Allan Poe’s “Tell-Tale Heart”. It looked and sounded like they were voicing and scoring a really bad Disney movie. That stuff really bothers me, I’m sorry. I just always hated the overly enthusiastic drama kids from high school; the ones who were always so loud and whimsical and in your face that you wanted to kick them in theirs, and this reminded me of just that.  What a disgrace this was to Edgar Allan Poe.

When they were done, Magnetic Fields played an entirely acoustic set. No percussions. Claudia Gonson played piano, John Woo strummed the acoustic guitar, Sam Davol was on cello, and Stephin Merrit was on a bouzouki. This show was in support of their latest LP “Distortion”, yet the show didn’t have any distortion to speak of. How terribly ironic. They honestly sounded great for what it was but when you’re in the mood for the full and lush and occasionally abrasive everchanging sound of their albums, you don’t want to hear the stripped down versions of all night. And if you’re going to play an acoustic set you should fucking advertise it. Ultimately upsetting. I went to the patio upstairs and watched the concert projected onto the wall from a couch while I drank more than I usually do at a show to help numb the pain of disappointment.

Thank you Stephen Merritt for letting me down






The Magnetic Fields performing "I Don't Believe You"



Here is a playlist of GOOD Magnetic Fields songs...the last one "I Die, You Die" is a Gary Numan cover (Which I have included as well!)

I'd have to say the highlight of the night was leaving early to go to Cha Cha Lounge in Silver Lake, where my friend Sean decided to sing Tears For Fears' "Shout" on karaoke. Enjoy!

Holy Fuck, A Place To Bury Strangers, In Waves @ Spaceland, 3/1/08

I've already reviewed In Waves twice.  They are a great band if you love that lush and ethereal atmospheric type sound (which I do!). They played a set as good as ever tonight, and paved the road nicely for the heavy and abrasive sounds of A Place to Bury Strangers.  A good and mellow start to the earth shattering noise that would soon be murdering us.

Although I'm a huge fan of all three bands, Brooklyn's A Place To Bury Strangers was the main reason I went to this show, and they came on and just raped the shit out of everyone's eardrums with glassy shards of frozen icepicks. It was as if singer/guitarist Oliver Ackerman was told by the sound guy during soundcheck that the music was too loud so then he turned it up even more. I don't know what the decibel count was but I'll tell you this much: I had makeshift cocktail napkin earplugs and I still felt like I was going deaf. This band has such a huge following lately that none of the hardcore fans even care that they have blood trickling out of their ears and down the sides of their faces. I had previously seen them at the Viper Room in Hollywood with In Waves and Eulogies last year, and I don't remember them being this loud!

They came on to a stage in a room that was completely pitch black. I don't know how the bartenders walked around and served drinks without flashlights because it was really that dark. I saw the strobe lights set up on stage and they weren't using them until a few songs deep into the set. I waited patiently as I new what to expect after seeing them before. Not only does the sound get louder, but I've never in my life seen a band use strobes for such a long period of time. Fog also fills the room, and it gets so thick that it reminded me of the time that the Flaming Lips took a motorcycle on stage and revved it up, filling the room with thick exhaust.  

They played most of the songs off their incredible self-titled debut album, including To Fix the Gash in Your Head, I Know I'll See You, and The Ocean.  I especially enjoyed In Waves' bassist Tim Gregorio's surprise guest appearance, providing extra vocals for the amazing APTBS song "My Weakness".  I did a little research online and found that he also added some vocals on the  album as well.  If you're a fan of this band, check out my interview with all three members here.

True to form, Oliver went completely violent on his guitar, wrapping the cables around the neck and body, dropping it repeatedly, and dangling it from his fingers like a drunk and possessed puppeteer putting on a show in hell. I have included a video below...epileptics beware!

I'm not sure who this chick is, but she came out and sang with them on one of the songs.

APTBS Setlist:

Next up,  Toronto electronic rockers Holy Fuck. Honestly, I don't really have a great memory of them playing because I failed you, as the reader, by drinking at this show. I figured I wasn't driving and I love seeing APTBS so much live that I'd have a few. I do remember them sounding much better and clearer than when I saw them at the Echoplex with Super Furry Animals and Abe Vigoda (not that they were less than perfect then). I was, however, able to snap a picture of one of their gear boards, which is literally a road case flipped upside down and set on top of a cheapo keyboard stand. It actually adds to the show because they have two of these and they are very floppy. I noticed people focusing on the gear setups more than the actual performance, anxiously awaiting an avalanche of keyboards and guitar pedals.