This ain't the Huxtables

What I meant to say is HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone. I thought the best way to leave 2007, a truly disappointing year for me, was to post Snoop's latest video, "Sensual Seduction". His newest single offers many life lessons for the average Joe. My favorite is, "I'm gonna take my time, she goin' get hers before I". That kind of rational and patient thinking can be applied to any situation or struggle. I mean...even Confucius would take use that. His new reality show has seriously grown on me too.

"Sensual Seduction" - taken from Snoop's late 70's, glitzy, Quincy Jones-inspired hot jam:

2007: Favorite Songs, L.A. releases, Top 25 Albums, and some great live performances

I'm pretty much done blogging until after Christmas. Here's a re-post of my year's favorite releases:

2007's Ultimate Mixtape Extravaganza:

1. The Besnard Lakes: "Devastation"
2. The National: "Mistaken for Strangers"
3. David Vandervelde: "Nothin' No"
4. A Sunny Day in Glasgow: "C'mon"
5. !!! (Chk Chk Chk): "Must Be The Moon"
6. Midnight Juggernauts: "Shadows"
7. Art Brut: "Direct Hit"
8. The Sea & Cake: "Crossing Line"
9. The Jealous Girlfriends: "Machines"
10. Xu Xu Fang: "These Days"
11. School of Seven Bells: "My Cabal"
12. Shocking Pinks: "I Want U Back"
13. Spoon: "The Ghost of You Lingers"
14. Clinic: If You Could Read You Mind"
15. Adam Franklin: "Shining Somewhere"
16. The Twilight Sad: "And She Would Darken the Memory"
17. AIR: "Mer Du Japon"
18. Deerhoof: "The Perfect Me"
19. Bat For Lashes: "Sarah"
20. Blonde Redhead: "23"
21. Caribou: "Sandy"
22. Dungen: "Familj"
23. The Clientele: "The Garden at Night"
24. Deerhunter: "Like New"
25. Film School: "Go Down Together"
26. Young Galaxy: "Outside the City"
27. Justice: "Phantom Pt.1"
28. Liars: "Freak Out"
29. Panda Bear: "Bros"
30. The Ponys: "Everyday Weapon"

Here are my favorite L.A. releases of the year. If you think my list is missing something then you might be more on par with this guy. On any given day I would change up the order depending upon my mood. Regardless, all of the releases below are pretty choice.

1. The Broken West: I Can't Go On, I'll Go On (Merge)


2. Great Northern: Trading Twilight For Daylight (Eenie Meenie)


3. Ken Andrews: Secrets of the Lost Satellite (Dinosaur Fight)


4. Division Day: Beartrap Island (Eenie Meenie)


5. Xu Xu Fang: These Days (Vacancy)


6. The Moon Upstairs: Guarding the Golden Apple (Gifted Children)


7. The Henry Clay People: Blacklist the Kid with the Red Moustache (Self-Released)


8. Le Switch: Hello Today (Self-Released)


9. Coco B's: Coco B's (Self-Released)


10. Health: Self-Titled (Lovepump United)


Honorable mentions:
Secretary Bird: Secretary Bird (In De Goot)
The Front: Smiles & Handshakes EP (Self-Released)
Lion Fever: Who Hears, Who Talks? EP (Self-Released)

Albums that ruled:

1. The Besnard Lakes: The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse (Jagjaguwar)


2. Blonde Redhead: 23 (4AD)


3. !!! (Chk Chk Chk): Myth Takes (Warp)


4. The Twilight Sad: Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters (Fat Cat)


5. Brad Laner: Neighbor Singing (Home Tapes)


6. Caribou: Andorra (Merge)


7. Radiohead: In Rainbows (Self-Released/XL)


8. A Sunny Day In Glasgow: Scribble Mural Comic Journal (Notenuf)


9. Dungen: Tio Bitar (Kemado)


10. Film School: Hideout (Beggars Group)


11. Apparat: Walls (BPitch Control)


12. Liars: Liars (Mute)


13. Ulrich Schnauss: Goodbye (Domino)


14. Marnie Stern: In Advance of the Broken Arm (Kill Rock Stars)


15. Dr. Dog: We All Belong (Park the Van)


16. Panda Bear: Person Pitch (Carpark)


17. The Shins: Wincing the Night Away (Sub Pop)


18. Deerhoof: Friend Opportunity (Kill Rock Stars)


19. Shocking Pinks: Shocking Pinks (Astralwerks)


20. Earlimart: Mentor Tormentor (Majordomo)


21. Clinic: Visitations (Domino)


22. The Jealous Girlfriends: The Jealous Girlfriends (Self-Released)


23. Bat For Lashes: Fur and Gold (Caroline)


24. Young Galaxy: Young Galaxy (Arts & Crafts)


25. Deerhunter: Cryptograms (Kranky)



Loose change:

AIR: Pocket Symphony (Astralwerks)
All Smiles: Ten Readings of a Warning (Dangerbird)
Okkervil River: The Stage Names (Jagjaguwar)
David Vandervelde: The Moonstation House Band (Secretly Canadian)
Menomena: Friend and Foe (Barsuk)


Most Memorable Performances of 2007:

Sonic Youth @ Greek Theatre (performing Daydream Nation)
Young Galaxy @ Spaceland
The Besnard Lakes @ The Troubadour
Autolux @ The Glass House
Blonde Redhead @ The Wiltern
BRMC @ Little Radio
Airiel @ Boardner's (club moscow)
Deerhunter @ Fuck Yeah Festival, Echoplex
Film School & Ulrich Schnauss @ Detroit Bar
Snowden & Land of Talk @ SXSW
Peter Bjorn & John @ Henry Fonda
The Jealous Girlfriends @ Echoplex

Christmas trees smell like rainbows

I'm tired of saying "Happy Holidays" and having to tip-toe around people's affection, or phony disgust, for the word "Christmas." If you're the type that holds every religion and outdated story like a security blanket then please try and shut yer candy-filled trap for another week and absorb the good things that come out of living in our insecure culture. I'm sure your religion will be celebrating something soon within the year and I promise to do the same.

You see the thing is "Christmas" isn't about religion, at least not in California, and I'm 100% religion-free anyway. This time of year is really about presents, eating, drinking, and most of all, not working. Have you ever bought a Christmas tree and decorated it yourself? That's a good time. Then there's mistletoe--an excellent way to try and get yourself a piece of ass. And finally, there's the gift of giving and receiving presents. Oh joy, batteries!

To the scrooges of the world, if you have a problem with Christmas and the consumerism that turns us all into robots then you've got some deeply rooted issues of your own that only a good two months of therapy can manage. Just keep drinking through the holidays and do what you've always done since...however many years it's been since you started drinking. Merry Christmas to all and a big cheers to Power Rangers, Legos, Barbie dream houses, shoes, power tools, and your new year's gym membership/resolution that will ultimately fail. I love it.

Take it Heasley

Lilys maestro Kurt Heasley has traveled down so many musical paths in the last 15 years that his musical history plays more like an exploration of genres. Lucky for his fans he does them consistently well. Heasley has covered 60's pop, shoegaze, psychedelic rock and straight ahead indie rock on so many releases. And later this week you can catch a block of shows at Spaceland for what will hopefully be a "best of " set list.

According to their MySpace page Aaron Sperske (Lilys/Beachwood Sparks) is currently playing in the band again along with one of my favorite drummers, Jimi Hey (Beachwood Sparks/All Night Radio/Indian Jewelry, etc.). I must mention that the first night features the awesome Mezzanine Owls as support with Dia Becker spinning both nights. A perfect match.

Over the years I've always gone back to A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns and the Kinks meets Monkeys super fuzz-pop of Better Can't Make Your Life Better. I've included two downloads from these periods.

12/20: Spaceland - 9pm: w/Mezzanine Owls & Winter Flowers
12/21: Spaceland - 9pm: w/Ariel Pink & Holy Shit


Download: "Baby's a Dealer"


Download: "Ginger"

"A Nanny in Manhattan"

Caribou map out extensive tour in 2008

Dan Snaith and his Cari-bites are a very busy crew in 2008. Sources tell me that a massive U.S. tour, along with performances at SXSW and possibly Coachella, are in the works. We have a few dates listed for Japan and Australia and a mega list to come soon.

Fans should bring extra cash for their merch goodies because this year's Andorra tour includes a special CD featuring unreleased tracks. Check the details below:


1. Mix
2. Seven Oaks
3. Yo-Yo
4. Stones
5. Woodcarver Steiner
6. Shim Shimmer
7. Hummingbird


So far:
1/13: Unit, Tokyo - Japan
1/16: The Bakery, Perth - Australia
1/17: Sydney Festival. Hyde Park Barracks Museum., Sydney - Australia
1/18: GoMA, Brisbane - Australia
1/19: East Brunswick Club, Melbourne - Australia
5/9-11: All Tomorrow's Parties, Camber Sands - UK

"Sandy", live from The Pink Room video series:

Slowdive: "Morningrise" (1991)

Simple, atmospheric and powerful; that sums up Slowdive's second EP Morningrise. Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell harmonize perfectly during the bridge, "looking back I see you ...slip away", over waves of gliding guitars. When Creation first released this single it was the next best thing to My Bloody Valentine, even in 2007 they're still right up there. "Morningrise" embodies everything that captured the hearts and ears of critics in the UK. The excitement and hype eventually spilled over in the U.S.A. with a little help from Rodney Bingenheimer and a few of the DJs at KXLU. Not bad for a bunch of 20 year-old kids from Reading.

"She Calls" breaks the rhythmic tradition with rolling drums that sound like a 17th century war march sampled with shimmering chords. Unlike the previous song the vocals get completely washed out in reverb so you can barely make out the phrases. But seriously, with music that sounds as good as this who gives a shit what they're saying? "Losing Today" is no as strong but equal in melancholy and feel, more in line with a Cocteau Twins ballad.

As a whole, this EP is better than their entire debut album, the lackluster and uninspired Just For a Day. If you're new to the band you will never need to buy that album. Just go and order their "best of" collection Catch the Breeze, put out by Sanctuary UK back in 2004. The tracklisting is a solid retrospective of the quintet's best work.

When I finally got to see Slowdive I had never owned or really heard much of their music, just heard a few random songs on KXLU now and then. After their unbelievable gigs at the Coach House and Palace (now Avalon) I immediately bought everything that existed, which meant paying import prices for a handful of discfolios. Most of their live set only contained 1 or 2 album tracks anyway. The rest was filled with their first three EPs and the unreleased gems "Silver Screen", "Joy", "Bleed", and "Jazz Odeon". Someone out there must have some decent studio recordings.


|||Slowdive: "Morningrise" MP3|||
|||Slowdive: "She Calls" MP3|||
Buy: Catch the Breeze (Sanctuary)

Blackstrap

Millions of Baby-Boomers around the world are rejoicing. In 2009 Stockholm's ABBA museum will open for Fernandos, Chiquititas, and Dancing Queens everywhere, but I think I might have found something that Gen-Xers can...take a chance on (Bam!). For fans of My Bloody Valentine, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and the driving energy of early Stereolab I urge you to check out Blackstrap. Melodic guitars and pristine layers of sound dominate their sophomore album, Steal My Horses and Run. These Swedes know their dream pop.

Apparently they played the Tee-Pee Records showcase at CMJ this year. And since I'm allergic to CMJ I'm going to assume they were good and have some serious label interest. Look for the quintet to make some noise over here in 2008.


|||Blackstrap: "Repulsion" MP3|||
Purchase: Steal My Horses and Run
www.blackstrap.net



- Photo by Karl-Oskar Bjurenstedt and Kontrast Sthlm

All Smiles at the Office

Two excellent paces to be tonight are Tangier (The Fold) and Club NME at Spaceland. Dangerbird artist and former Grandaddy member, Jim Fairchild (All Smiles), plays Tangier at 10:45 while pop-enthusiasts Office rock your jingle bells as the headliner at Spaceland. Jim (Son of James) and Dia will be spinning the brit-pop/shoegaze classics.



Download: "Oh My" - Office
Download: "Moth in a Cloud of Smoke" - All Smiles


More shows and listings can be found H E R E.

Phil Spector: Merry Christmas, I promise not to shoot you

Last year around this time the always educational and tasteful blog Aquarium Drunkard published a great post on Phil Spector's 1963 X-mas classic, A Christmas Gift For You (Abkco). The album features classic tunes covered by Darlene Love, The Ronettes, The Crystals, Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans, and of course, a yule tide greeting from Spector himself...creepy. There are a couple of downloads below but I suggest buying the whole record, it serves as a great backdrop when you're baking treats for the youngsters or decorating your Christmas tree.


|||The Ronettes: "Frosty the Snowman" MP3|||
|||Darlene Love: "Winter Wonderland" MP3|||
Buy: Amazon.com

Tracklisting:
1. White Christmas - Darlene Love
2. Frosty The Snowman - The Ronettes
3. The Bells Of St. Mary - Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans
4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - The Crystals
5. Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes
6. Marshmallow World - Darlene Love
7. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Ronettes
8. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - The Crystals
9. Winter Wonderland - Darlene Love
10. Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers - The Crystals
11. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love
12. Here Comes Santa Claus - Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans
13. Silent Night - Phil Spector and Artists

RIDE: "Today Forever" (1991)

Many adjectives and overwhelming hype were heaped upon RIDE. Between the infectious singles of "Chelsea Girl" and "Like a Daydream" to their noisy/poppy-as-fuck debut Nowhere, the youngsters seemed to be one of the only bands from that period who could gain critical and chart success, KROQ's "Jed the Fish" even described them as "the next Beatles" back in 1991. Although RIDE were a band capable of turning melodic guitar pop into something ferocious, accessible, and equally angelic they eventually focused more time trying to mimic the appeal of label mates Oasis rather than sticking to their guns. That lack of confidence divided the band for good in 1996.

Quickly after Nowhere was released in the U.S. in 1991 the Oxford quartet pumped out another amazing batch of songs, the Today Forever EP (Creation). Most fans will proudly say this is the best work they ever did, and they would be mostly correct. The band loosens up, widening their guitar sound and hones in on more difficult structures. It also works as a perfect bridge between their two best albums, Nowhere and the amazing follow-up album Going Blank Again.

|||Ride: "Unfamiliar" MP3|||
|||Ride: "Sennen" MP3|||

Stylus' review of RIDE
Ride's MySpace site

"Beneath"

Slumberland Records returns!

For those of you that can remember the highly contagious indie rock/pop of bands like Velocity Girl, Black Tambourine, Swirlies, Lilys, and the mighty Henry's Dress then the word Slumberland should immediately come to mind. The Berkeley-based label featured some of America's greatest indie acts and offered a plethora of amazing vinyl, split-singles, and CD samplers/collectibles for the die-hard fan. As of this year the Slumberland Records site has re-opened for business and will even launch a split 7" series every month in 2008! Some great up and coming bands like A Sunny Day in Glasgow and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, plus UK punk-pop vets Boyracer, are all scheduled to participate.

If you're an older fan of the label who spends more of their time nowadays with 2 kids and a mortgage, but are still itching to dust off that massive collection in your garage, here are some MP3s from memory lane:

Zip file:
Henry's Dress: "Hey Allison"
Lilys: "Threw a Day"
Swirlies: "Didn't Understand"
Velocity Girl: "Forgotten Favorite"
Black Tambourine: "Throw Aggi off the Bridge"


Fun Fact: Pam Berry, the lead singer for Black Tambourine and Nord Express, is the topic of discussion from the Shins latest album Wincing the Night Away. Apparently, Black Tambourine were a big influence on Flake Music.

Swirlies - "Bell", taken from Blonder Tongue Audio Baton (Taang!)


Velocity Girl - "Audrey's Eyes", taken from Copacetic (Sub Pop)

Pale Saints: "In Ribbons" (1992)

A few years ago Mew reached out to a greater audience here in America with their breakthrough album And the Glass Handed Kites (Sony). It's a beautiful marriage of dream-pop and charging prog-rock with a noticeable falsetto. My immediate impression after hearing their first single "The Zookeper's Boy" was wondering if the band were ever fans of the Pale Saints, one of Ivo's greatest UK signings.

In Ribbons, and every other Pale Saints track ever put to tape, are held in the highest esteem because of vocalist/bassist Ian Masters. His incredible high range, and admittedly female-like voice, soars above the album's rich guitars and shuffling drums. While past EPs like Barging into the Presence of God and the sweet, dark debut of In the Comforts of Madness dabbled in shoegaze and dreary guitar tones, In Ribbons seals the deal.

The songs are also much bigger in contrast; flooded with pristine overdubs of choppy guitars and Meriel Barham's (ex-Lush) supporting coo. "Throwing Back the Apple", "Hair Shoes", and the triumphant "Baby Maker" are classics from what is their best album. The recently released Brit Box (Rhino) utilizes "Sight of You" as the band's period piece. It's a good choice, but a better one would have been "Baby Maker".

You only need to buy the band's first two albums to experience the best Pale Saints had to offer. Ian Masters bailed out in 1993 to focus on more experimental music while the Saints went on to make two more albums that basically flopped.

|||Pale Saints: "Baby Maker" MP3|||
|||Pale Saints: "Throwing Back the Apple" MP3|||

Read: Pale Saints at 4AD
Buy: Pale Saints on Amazon.com

"Throwing Back the Apple"

The Ecstasy of St. Theresa: "Free-D" (1994)

As the world of shoegaze was closing in on extinction ambient pop, sampling, and cleaner-delayed guitars became more widely used. One of the more interesting acts to bridge the gap between ambient-dub and dream pop was The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, who hail from Prague and are still making records today. The band originally rose to fame with a big nod from DJ and all-around taste maker John Peel around 1993. Their original single Fluidtrance Centauri was awesome, basically a 3-song set of amazing Peel Sessions that explored space-age rock anthems climbing into the sky.

Free-D on the other hand was a shift forward. The disc is still dreamy and serene yet there is an obvious theme throughout the record based on synths and samples, think Seefeel, Talk Talk, and the Orb. When I was 19 and playing in my first band I couldn't stop listening to this album and continued to bring into the studio every weekend in hopes that I could influence what we were doing. It ended up having a profound and mostly regrettable affect on the overall mix. I should have left it at home.

You'll notice that I named this blog after one of the more "aggressive" tracks from the album. If you're interested in finding a copy then Ebay awaits...

Preview album tracks here

Tracklisting:
1. Vacuum Blow
2. Surfing On Steam - Deep Inside The Sun/Endless Experience
3. Trance (Between The Stars) - Beyond The Brain Remix
4. Her Eyes Have It
5. Sooper Kosmos
6. Interstellar Overdose
7. Trance (Between The Stars) - Meadow In Terry's Chair Remix

This video is for "Fluidium", taken from the excellent Fluidtrance Centauri EP. This little 3-song banger charted at #6 in the UK Indie Chart and was the highest ranked album by any Czech artist/band ever!

A Place to Bury Skeptics

Wow. I held some serious reservations going into the Silverlake Lounge last night, but thank Evan Almighty (not a good movie) that Oliver Ackerman and his fuzz-kateers delivered a mind-rattling set. Back in March they were on my "to-do" list during the SXSW Music Conference that I helped cover for Little Radio. The only problem was that their set became spoiled by the venue's poor sound, weak monitors, and an overall lack of cohesiveness. It wasn't necessarily the band's fault because Austin's Red 7 is such a horrible place to experience any band, but it still left an unfavorable impression.

Going further back I was a an even bigger fan of Ackerman's old troupe Skywave. They too released a gem of an album back in 2003 entitled Synthstatic (Alison Records), a record definitely worth finding. The trio split, Oliver went his way and continued his pedal business, and the other guys went on to form Ceremony. A few years later a bunch of links start popping up on the shoegaze forum board about A Place To Bury Strangers. Next, the band gets a solid album review from P-Fork. I mean seriously, who would have thought that a site as discriminating as Pitchfork would have given Ackerman's new band half of a wink?

Last night's severely monstrous performance was exactly what I wanted. If you have any curiosity to ever see the latest incarnation of the Jesus and Mary Chain I'd ask you to pass and check out A Place To Bury Strangers instead. With both acts, it's all about the guitar noise, and Oliver Ackerman's is just more interesting and powerful. The drumming is also better and more "industrial", that was the favorite word everyone seemed to be throwing around. This is straightforward noisepop taken to an extreme level. A sound that is physical and sometimes sedative. The Silverlake Lounge was one of the few venues I'd ever expect a band that is so loud and distorted to come out sounding like champs.

As for the openers it was also my first time seeing the British rock/shoegaze tinged pop of Mere Mortals, who were actually very impressive. Half of the band I've seen floating around in other L.A. acts over the years. Xu Xu Fang, who have already nabbed a residency there earlier this year, were excellent. If you've been following the band as much as I have you can tell that the lineup changes are working. And how awesome was that last new song?

"I Know I'll See You" taken from their self-titled album. Buy it here.



Other good reads about the band:
Audiversity
Buzz Bands
Pitchfork

Autolux take control of their future, play Coachella

This bit of news isn't much of a surprise. Autolux have announced that their sophomore album won't be out until early next year. Although there's no date set, and no confirmation on the new label, some other great developments and gigs have developed for the new year. First, Carla, Eugene and Greg now own the rights to their debut banger Future Perfect. they are no longer associated with DMZ/Epic. Second, producer and multi-instrumentalist Nigel Godrich asked the trio to play a set for his "From the Basement" series. I'm going to assume it's pretty choice. And third, Autolux are playing Coachella next spring. What day you ask? Not sure, you gotta wait. More to come.

Go:

12/6: ICA - London, UK
12/8: All Tomorrow's Parties (w/ Portishead, Aphex Twin...)
1/31: The Independent - San Francisco, CA.
2/1: The El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA.
4/25? 26? 27?: Coachella Festival - Indio, CA.

Ordinary song, extraordinary band

L.A.'s finest pop band unleash another cool video for, another, great Little Ones jam. And yes, you guessed it, this song is brand spankin' new. Far from "ordinary" this will be the first official single taken from the band's debut album Morning Tide (EMI/Heavenly). The excitement starts January 14th. No date for the full-length release or tracklisting, but you can bet I'll be getting it soon. I'm a little excited.



"Ordinary Song"

Tri-Dogs and Victorian houses

I finally got around to watching The Pity Party's interview on KCET's Rummage series. Mr. Mark "Shovel" Sovel, Indie 103.1's music director, premier DJ and connoisseur of great local bands, drops in on the Little Knittery to discuss a myriad of topics with the duo. Thanks to DJs like Sovel Indie 103.1 has grown into one of the best alternative/indie rock radio stations in Los Angeles. A lot of the credit is due to Sovel's consistent an genuine support of great L.A. bands. I've been converted.

Watch Part 2 of the video interview below.



Sometimes our routines can wear us down, causing a complete lack of awareness of our health and time. Although I do love getting out to see shows as much as possible I definitely needed an extended break from the commuting, noise, and escalating gas prices. All that's going to change this week as I venture out to catch Xu Xu Fang/A Place to Bury Strangers tomorrow night, All Smiles (Jim Fairchild) at Tangier next Wednesday, and the Fold's X-Mas Sweater party (The Pity Party/Eskimohunter/Deadly Syndrome/Happy Hollows/ Mae Shi) on the 14th. Maybe I can find my special Christmas sweater at the Little Knittery this week? If not, I'm getting a Tri-dog.

Speaking of extended break, In the past month I've spent so many hours watching horrible television programs that I'd never really explored or cared about. As a result I'll be counting down the 10 worst TV shows later this week. Until then here are 3 facts about the current state of television:

Fact: Reality television is fucking out of control.

Fact: Nancy Grace is a douchebag.

Fact: There are 4 really good football teams in the NFL, the rest are totally inconsistent. I'm talking to you Rothlesberger!




photo by Timothy Norris

Radiohead: "Jigsaw Falling into Place"

Like most people, I've really enjoyed the new Radiohead album. Life gets even better in less than a month as the official physical release of In Rainbows (XL) drops with 8 more tracks!


1. "MK 1"
2. "Down Is the New Up"
3. "Go Slowly"
4. "MK 2"
5. "Last Flowers"
6. "Up on the Ladder"
7. "Bangers and Mash"
8. "4 Minute Warning"