Monday, April 22, 2013
Tuesday is the first show of a semi-regular series of showcases where friends of la-underground sing songs in the comfort of our beloved Lot 1 Cafe in Echo Park. To kick off everything, we asked Phoebe Bridgers, Stephanie Hunt, Mike Benecke, and Jonny Miller to serenade us with beauty that is their voices.
If you didn't get the memo, word of mouth on Phoebe Bridgers is spreading quickly. We have already declared her the best pure singer-songwriter under 21 in the city of Los Angeles (aka the universe) and all you 21 plus-ers better watch your back, too. Not only does she break hearts with her dagger tunes (the closest thing to Patty Griffin and Garrison Starr we've heard in years), but that hella cute pixie haircut and daring style of hers is going to get her on Nylon Mag covers soon. Seriously, see this girl. Quick. Not gonna even front, we have had the most enormous crush on Stephanie Hunt for forever. First, as a part-time member of our favorite Austin band, Cowboy and Indian. Then as a cast member of great television shows Californication, Friday Night Lights, and most recently How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life). Then as one-half of the brilliant vocal/comedy duo Nancy & Beth (with musician/actress Megan Mullally) -- their Riskay cover recently went viral but their rendition of George Jones's "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is an absolute stunner. Finally, as a solo artist for which she made her L.A. debut on a rainy, December evening, making us tear up a bit when she soundchecked with Buddy Holly's "Love Is Strange" (she probably doesn't know that we talk to Maria Elena Holly on a regular basis.) All said, we love this girl. And, trust us, you will too. And if you didn't love Mike Benecke when he was frontman of the shockingly-ignored but forever-adored Teddy's Cheer Club then you can make up for it with his new, solo work. His self-titled debut EP was one of our favorites of 2012 and his performance on Tuesday will be a rare one so be sure to catch him. Jonny Miller fronts our favorite band discovery of 2012, Black Bear & The Cheyenne Band. This guy can flat-out write great songs and if you don't believe us, go and listen to both BBCAB records Native Ground and Trans-Mountaineer, starting with this lovely tune.
Thanks in advance for all the artists being awesome on Tuesday.
April 23, 2013
Los Angeles Loves...
PHOEBE BRIDGERS
STEPHANIE HUNT
MIKE BENECKE
JONNY MILLER
Lot 1 Cafe
1533 W Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
18+/9pm/FREE
FACEBOOK EVENT
Monday, April 08, 2013
Deemed the loudest band at SXSW 2013 by us and anyone within a 5-mile square radius of their performances, Clipping might also be given best new L.A. band of the year when all is said and done given how undeniably brilliant their debut album Midcity is. The album consists of Rale and ex-Captain Ahab mastermind Snipes soundscaping some of the most intense and angular noise/beats for Diggs to crack off knowledge to -- with notable guest appearances from locals Ezra Buchla ("real"), Baseck ("bout.that"), Jalene Goodwin ("bullshit"), and others. This is the first of four shows Clipping has in April. You should see every single one of them. Quote unQuote's debut 24-minute performance last November pretty much completely crushed everything we saw in 2012. If you loved Ben Heywood and Sean Foye's previous outing Vicious Scully as much as we did, then you're going to absolutely be destroyed by the brutality of this band (joined by Brandon Hardy of Missing Teen). Please join them as they celebrate the release of their debut digital 7" "HYP"/"Vultures & Dogs." Pop/Soda recently celebrated the release of their own vinyl with the fantastic Eat Your Fat 12" and honored us with a show a few months back at pehrspace. We don't know what to call what they do unless noise/sex is a genre because noisy sex is exactly what we feel like having when we listen to them. Finally, we're ecstatic that Jew Cocks were able to make time for this show last-minute as it is always a treat to be delighted and offended at the same by everyone's favorite Jewish punk rock trio. Who's with us? YEAH!
April 9, 2013
Los Angeles Loves...
CLIPPING - 12AM
QUOTE UNQUOTE - 11PM
POP/SODA - 10PM
JEW COCKS - 9PM
Silverlake Lounge
2906 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
21+/$5/8pm
FACEBOOK EVENT
Saturday, April 06, 2013
Tonight, we're presenting what should be an amazing evening with Emily Jane White, Tom Brosseau, Eliza Rickman, and Lia Rose at pehrspace. We must give most of the credit for this gathering to White and Rickman for letting us host the L.A. stop on their brief excursion to these parts. Both released fantastic records last year (White with her dark and delicate balladry in Ode to Sentience and Rickman with her wicked, baroque pop in O, You Sinners) and we're anxious to hear those songs in such an intimate setting. Joining them will be another Bay Area beauty, Lia Rose, who has roots in the area but has been calling San Francisco her home for most of her career. While we first fell in love with her in bands like Minipop and Built for the Sea, it's when she went solo and released When You Need Me Most and, especially, her most recent release Conspire that she has finally hit her stride. "California," in particular, is a must-listen for all you Highway 5 wanderers traveling our great Golden State. Lastly, Mr. Tom Brosseau. We've known Tom for so long that anytime we see him around town, a simple cordial nod to each other and the good memories of a decade past is all that needs to be exchanged between us. And even after 10 years of being a Largo regular and traveling the world singing songs in fancy theaters, he's still one of the most underrated singer-songwriters of our time and definitely one of the most undervalued performers in this town. And, if you don't think so, you haven't really listened to "Wear and Tear," "Wandering," (sung gorgeously with Angela Correa), and "Blue Part of the Windshield" (our favorite Brosseau song ever due in part to Hilary Hahn's absolutely crushing violin arrangement). If that weren't enough, you can see him star in the fantastic Andrew van Baal short film "Wonder Valley."
Hopefully, we've said enough to get a few people out to this show. It's going to a special one.
April 6, 2013
Los Angeles Loves...
EMILY JANE WHITE
TOM BROSSEAU
ELIZA RICKMAN
LIA ROSE
pehrspace
325 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
$5/9pm/All Ages
FACEBOOK EVENT
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Chances are, if you're good at Internet-ing, you've stumbled across Britt Warner either from being mesmerized by her smoldering Lana Del Rey-esque tracks on Soundcloud, enraptured by her provocative images on Instagram, or falling in love with her offline in the dimly-lit bars in Hollywood she frequents. And if you're "All of the Above" then the 50-foot restraining order for stalking will still allow you to see the show from across Sunset Boulevard (where we will be sitting). O Holler is the newly-named duo formerly known trio of Penny Dreadful. The lovely twosome features Rachel Birke (Heller Keller) and Pauline Lay (Moses Campbell) performing folk songs as beautiful and honest as any Moldy Peaches songs we've ever heard. Most of Los Angeles's indie scene is already in love with these two in one way or another and if you aren't then you probably haven't seen this video yet. It's been a few years since The Wild Reeds slummed it at one of our shows. Since then, the trio has made some band changes and permanently returned to Los Angeles, all the while putting out some gorgeous harmony-filled folk records. "Daughters" was and is our favorite Reeds song of all time. Hear them live sing it once and you'll be a fan forever. Before just recently, June 14, 2009 was the last time we saw Cap Lori. We remember this date clearly because it was one of the most stunning performances we've ever seen and it is with huge regret that we did not record it. The utter agony of not capturing that show was somewhat subdued last year with the glorious news that Cap Lori (aka Tennessee Rose) was moving to Los Angeles from Seattle. After a few welcome back shows at The Smell and Permanent Records in December, we are proud to present her at Lot 1 on Saturday.
Our next shows won't be until some time after SXSW (4/3 and 4/6 to be exact) so hopefully we'll see you this weekend.
February 23, 2013
Los Angeles Loves...
BRITT WARNER
O HOLLER
THE WILD REEDS
CAP LORI
Lot 1 Cafe
1533 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
18+/9pm/$5
FACEBOOK EVENT
Monday, February 18, 2013
We are presenting two shows this weekend featuring two stacked lineups beginning this Friday at pehrspace...
We really shouldn't have to keep accolading Rainman's Rachel Rufrano any more than we already have the last few years since all you really have to do is listen to the simple genius of her most recent release Saturnalia over and over like we have and realize that she's shockingly still a hidden gem in the LA/LBC scene. "Keep My Mouth Shut" was one our 10 favorite songs of 2012. That is the truth. And speaking of favorite songs of 2012 and truth, Phoebe Bridgers' "Waiting Room" was thee heartbreaker tune of the year. It's brilliant. Those who have caught her shows with and without her band Eistein's Dirty Secret know she's something special -- and just wait until she graduates high school. Members of her band have been
We highly recommend coming early and staying late for this one (and the next one).
February 22, 2013
Los Angeles Loves...
RAINMAN - 11:30pm
EINSTEIN'S DIRTY SECRET - 10:45pm
FARSPEAKER - 10pm
BLACK BEAR & THE CHEYENNE AUTUMN BAND - 9:15pm
with DJ LORD THRUST
pehrspace
325 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
$5/9pm/All Ages
FACEBOOK EVENT
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
One listen to Dorian Wood and you'll be musically scarred for life and this is a good thing.
What can we say about Dorian Wood that hasn't already been said? He is an enigma. A genius. Possibly a soothsayer. But, really, just a man that will move you with his words and his music unlike most any other artist you'll ever encounter.
On March 1st, Wood celebrates the release of his new album Rattle Rattle, a sweeping triumph of a musical extravaganza if we ever did hear one. Individual songs on their own like the mammoth "Glassellalia" (featuring Correatown's Angela Correa) and the hypnotic "Pearline" are so epically orchestrated you'd think they were written for Broadway, not the DIY performance spaces that Wood so often performs. Other songs like "We Are The Heart of Human Hair" and "A Gospel of Elephants/Hpssos" slither and swarm in ceremonial vestments of beats and moans -- it's Wood at his sermonical best, when you can almost feel the sweat rolling down his spine and the saliva dripping off his tongue with every stinging lyric. We doubt there will be another album released in Los Angeles as bold and raucous as Rattle Rattle -- finally, the album we needed to wake us up from our winter slumber.
Below, we are honored to premiere Dorian Wood's Rattle Rattle album trailer featuring the diabolically Herrmann-esque opening number "Bodies (The Levitant)" -- which, we have to mention, is gorgeously sequenced on the album into the fantastic "La Cara Infinita." On March 5th, Rattle Rattle will be performed live at The Echo with the live choir The Difficult Women and very special guests Killsonic and WIFE. It is crucial that you do not miss this show.
DORIAN WOOD: WWW / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Bandcamp / Tumblr
Directed by Van Maximilian Carlson and featuring Denna Thomsen and Nina McNeely
Labels: dorian wood
It's been a good seven months since our last show and boy did we need that break. Instead of boring you with stories on what we've been doing this whole time, we'll just show you in the form of presenting three shows in February featuring a bunch of bands we've been stalking before and during our half-year slumber.
We begin this Friday at our beloved pehrspace with Détective, Kent State, Pop/Soda, and Galaxy of Tar. Détective returns from a quick West Coast tour promoting their three fantastic 2012 releases including one of the year's best However Strange, a 90's indie rock lover's wet dream of an album. Oh and we love Guylaine. When you hear Kent State's latest cassette release "Behind Closed Doors", their self-proclaimed Psych Death Pop sound pretty much nails it, but feel free to mix and match any of these choice descriptors in your genre nameplacing: Horror Fuzz Garage Doom Cave Noise. If you haven't heard cave recordings are the new bedroom demos, welcome to 2013. Oh and Kent State rules. We couldn't fathom bassist Jimmy Fusil being in any other band besides the beloved Bloody Robots let alone one that comes even close to the sheer brilliance of that band, but he is. And that band is Pop/Soda. Oh and peep this vid they did for Machine Project. Galaxy of Tar played their debut L.A. gig a few weeks back at Space 15 Twenty having moved from New York a few years back and we loved lead singer Naima Mora's raw yet visceral feel for the stage -- which isn't much of a surprise since she's been killing it on runways for over 10 years. Oh and get their first single "1% of Static" on Bandcamp for free.
Even though no one comes to this site anymore except for Google bots and those sending us hate mail, we still love you. We'll be back soon to type some more words in a sec...
FEBRUARY 1, 2013
Los Angeles Loves...
DETECTIVE - 10pm (homecoming show)
KENT STATE - 11pm
POPSODA - 12am
GALAXY OF TAR - 9pm
with DJ LORD THRUST
pehrspace
325 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
$5/9pm/All Ages
FACEBOOK EVENT
Saturday, September 22, 2012
The Monolators have been our favorite L.A. band of the last 10 years. In other words, we have seen, hosted, and/or enjoyed more Monolators shows than any other local band in the last 10 years. We have also documented more Monolators shows than any other band ever as seen in our tribute video below. But we'll get to that.
The Monolators are the epitome of who we love to root for -- the underdog. A band that has persevered through 10 years of ups and downs to find an audience in a city filled with thousands of other bands trying to do the same and have done so without an ounce of unkindness. You see, if you ask anybody that knows the band they'll tell you that Mary and Eli Monolator are the two nicest people in music scene history. Just ask the bands they've shared the stage with over the years. Who else has played with everybody from The Airborne Toxic Event to Captain Ahab and has done so seamlessly without a shred of scene politico eye-rolling. Because the truth of it all is that The Monolators are loved. So loved, in fact, that tonight at pehrspace is going to be one of the biggest fan/band orgies of the millennium.
And to celebrate the occasion we pay tribute to the band with a video featuring the cult favorite "Let's Be Best Friends in Space." It contains footage from shows that we had to capture off effing VHS-C tape -- which is a good indication of not only how old we are but also how cheap we are. The band is also celebrating the release of a Vanity Projects retrospective limited edition cassette release containing 17 greatest hits from their 12+ releases plus 2 new songs ("Covering Up" and "Driving In the City" -- "5001" is from their Mechanookie radio play earlier this year which, by the way, was brilliant).
We love you, Monolators. You have no idea how much.
The Monolators vinyl/CDs are available at Origami and Bandcamp.
September 22, 2012
THE MONOLATORS
KISSING COUSINS
GEOFF GEIS
pehrspace
325 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
All Ages/$5/9pm
FACEBOOK EVENT
Labels: 10 years of tears, the monolators
