"The Love of No Dance"
Los Angeles is a big place, so sometimes it's far to keep track of all of the bands here, so it's pretty awesome when we come across a great new band. Even better, Jump Clubb hails from our backyard here in Beverly Hills, concocting a stellar mix of lo-fi indie and straight up dance, ala LCD Soundsystem. For a town that is all about being noticed, these guys would much rather remain anonymous and let the music speak for itself.
[mp3]: "A Frozen Hug"
Showing posts with label Los Angeles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Angeles. Show all posts
Monday, September 21, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Alaskan Summer
Los Angeles group Alaskan Summer love their pop music, exhibiting an obvious love for the sounds and textures of Burt Bacharach. The band has been creating quite a buzz around the city for the past year, and it reached a fever pitch with the release of their debut EP at the beginning of the summer. Containing six songs, it was recorded with producer Dave Trumfio (Built to Spill, OK GO, Jesus and Mary Chain), and they're already at work on their full-length debut, which should be ready to go in the next year. They have a few live dates coming up, including appearances at Hotel Cafe and the Eagle Rock Music Festival next month.
[mp3]: "Waterslide"
Monday, August 24, 2009
Phenomenal Handcalp Band @ the El Rey Tonight (Los Angeles)
Photo by FotonovaNYC/AlexSolmssen
If their name sounds like a band from your parents’1967 Summer of Love record collection, you wouldn’t be too far off. Though not from the ‘60s hippie era, The Phenomenal Handclap Band is a collective of artists and musicians who echo elements of harmonious times past in their epic blending of disparate genres. At the same time, their psychedelic throwbacks to the past do not stop them from pushing the boundaries of modern music. NPR says, 'The Phenomenal Handclap Band fills venues with a mesmerizing sound and eight-person stage presence. The band is equal parts psychedelia, proto-disco, heavy rock ‘n’ roll, ‘60s soul and hip-hop – what NPR Music calls “a perfect mix of everything from the past 40 years of popular music.'
Formed by New York DJs Daniel Collas and Sean Marquand, their album also features members of TV On The Radio, Antibalas, The Dap Kings, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, L’Trimm, Calla, The Mooney Suzuki, Si Se, and Honeycut, just to name a few. Their self-titled debut (Friendly Fire Recordings) has received critical acclaim from both the US and overseas. The Guardian UK praises, 'The PHB are astronauts of progressive soul, moored at the stellar point where rock, funk and psychedelia bloom into cosmic-disco amazingness.' Join them for the second night of their first ever Los Angeles gigs Monday 08.24 at the El Rey (5515 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA) and Tuesday 08.25 at Cinespace (6356 Hollywood Blvd., 2nd Level Hollywood, CA 90028).
[mp3]: "15 to 20"
[mp3]: "You'll Disappear"
POST BY GUEST BLOGGER VERONICA
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
New Fitz & the Tantrums Video: "Winds of Change"
This is the first proper video for Los Angeles soul act Fitz & the Tantrums which does a great job showcasing the band. If you haven't seen Fitz yet, it's definitely a great experience, and coming this fall, you'll get to see himself outside of LA, as he will be opening a string of west coast dates for Flogging Molly. Watch this space for more info.
9/10 - Radisson - Sacramento, CA
9/11 - Fox Theatre - Oakland, CA
9/12 - Greek Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
9/14 - The Senator Theatre - Chico, CA
9/15 - Roseland Theatre - Portand, OR
9/16 - Knitting Factory - Spokane, WA
9/17 - Marymoor Ampitheater - Redmond, WA
9/21 - House Of Blues - San Diego, CA
9/24 - Pearl-Palms Concert - Las Vegas, NV
9/25 - In The Venue - Salt Lake City, UT
9/26 - Red Rocks - Morrison, CO
Check out the live video for "Breakin' the Chains of Love."
[mp3]: "Winds of Change" (Live)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Rumble in Los Angeles Tomorrow!
To bring you even more excitement in 2009, The Owl Mag, Future Sounds, and Stranded in Stereo are bringing you another Rumble event in Los Angeles at 9pm on February 5th at 3 of Clubs (1123 Vine St., Hollywood, CA). As you may know, our Rumble events present the best up-and-coming indie-rock artists who we think the world should know. Don't miss your chance to catch them before they become huge. This time we are introducing the music of Jukebox The Ghost, The Ringers and The Voyeurs, who will undeniably show you a fun time. So, if you know what's good for you, bring yourselves and your friends for a great night of live music.
As always, our resident DJs Michael will be there, as well as our blog partner for this month, Rock Insider
RSVP here for free entry
JUKEBOX THE GHOST
"DC's Jukebox the Ghost are an extremely entertaining piano-pop trio that writes cleverly optimistic songs. Their music gives off an aura that vaguely resembles happiness"-OH MY ROCKNESS.com. The singer/piano player Ben
Thornewil shares strong vocal similarities to Ben Folds while incorporating a dramatic and stimulating flair. The talented and ambitious piano players of Jukebox the Ghost will entice and energize any listener, you don't miss
these guys perform.
THE RINGERS
The Ringers are a four-piece Los Angeles-based rock n' roll group. They have been referred to as a tight band of pirates out to rape and pillage your senses with their unique sound and explosive show. "We're not trying to re-invent the wheel, just roll it OUR WAY." The Ringers have a very exciting sound much like The Hives and early Rolling Stones. Their second album Headlocks & Highkicks will be in progress in the month of November and will also feature their new single "Apocolypto."
THE VOYEURS
The Voyeurs release their infectious debut album "Well Known Drag" on January 27, 2009. They are a southern California based indie rock band who delve into pusle-pounding rock songs. They incorporate a fabulous mix of
'60s pop and down n' dirty classic rock. Their debut album will keep you encapsulated from beginning to end, and stand out songs such as "Things People Say" will be on repeat in your brain all day.
The Owl Mag, Future Sounds, and Stranded in Stereo have a deep love and respect for the indie music community. Having produced successful events and promoted emerging indie artists, their collaboration promises to continue a
tradition of supporting independent music, while at the same time providing locals with a place to party. Through the reach of an online music publication, indie rock internet radio station, indie retailers, and online social networking sites, our connection to the music community is broad.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
SIS At The Club: Rufus Wainwright
Resident Stranded In Stereo writer Joey Coombe recently took in a set by famed singer Rufus Wainwright last month, and he's gotten back to us with his report from the field.
The Wiltern Theater sits at the intersection of Western Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. Built in 1931, The Warner Brothers Western Theater was originally a movie house but through renovations done in the mid 1980s, the theater now functions as a performing arts center hosting live music and other acts. The renovations have remained true to the building’s original art deco design; it was declared a historical landmark in 1979. The Wiltern Theater, considered one of the larger venues in Los Angeles, was sold out for Rufus Wainwright’s L.A. tour stop in support of his album Release the Stars.
On Release the Stars, Wainwright moves further away from his singer/songwriter persona and into the territory of showman/entertainer. Those early Gap commercials from the mid 1990s, the ones where Wainwright sat at his piano against a quintessential white backdrop playing a song of our grandparents’ generation, seem half a world away.
The early appeal of Wainwright’s music as an old soul, out of time but not out of step, is gone. With Stars, much like the Want One, Want Two double punch, Wainwright’s music feels very much timely and very much relevant. “Oh What a World,” the first track on Want One, includes the line ‘Why am I always on a plane or a fast train. Oh what a world my parents gave me? Always travelin’ but not in love.’ “Going To a Town,” from his latest effort, continues this modern world commentary with a ballad of displacement and disappointment worthy of a Billy Joel comparison. But, Rufus has morphed into the ultimate Billy Joel / Elton John mash-up; inheriting Joel’s depth and masked darkness along with John’s performance and panache.
That night's show featured a majority of songs from Release the Stars. The title track started off the show like a Broadway first act. Wainwright’s 7 piece backing band was isolated in spotlights prior to his entrance stage left. As the song began a disco ball revolving light show covered the stage in tiny white twinkles, hence releasing the stars. But this being Los Angeles, the song was not about those that fill the night sky but those that fill the stage and screen, stars who no doubt were in attendance that night. As Wainwright mentioned Melrose Avenue in “Release the Stars,” many from the crowd cheered. Wainwright then proceeded to play more tracks from his recent record, including “Sanssucci,” “Tiergarten,” and “Do I Disappoint You?”
The night included a brief intermission, which meant a wardrobe change for Wainwright; from a very colorful suit both bright white and a rainbow of colors from the warmer side of the color wheel to a lederhosen clad outfit of a young German lad. This would not be the only wardrobe change of the evening. The last two songs were off Want One, the glorious “Beautiful Child” followed by “14th Street,” which ended with a long and sustaining banjo solo that played as band members left the stage.
There was a short encore involving a Judy Garland tribute. Rufus Wainwright played two songs from his Rufus does Judy at Carnegie Hall album that featured not just musical accompaniment but choreography as well. “Poses” also made an appearance, the title track of Wainwright’s 1999 album. Sounding somber and sentimental compared to his more recent material, “Poses” was still a crowd-pleaser.
As Wainwright makes clear in his song “Oh What a World,” it’s a much different world for a gay performer now. Gone are the closeted days of Liberace. With Release the Stars, Wainwright seems to be leaving behind the cult figure of songs like “One Man Guy” and “Matinee Idol.” Release the Stars celebrates America. In Greil Marcus’s most recent book: The Shape of Things to Come, he speaks of the American artist, the one voice speaking for the whole. It is in this way Wainwright speaks on Stars, not from his own unique perspective but from the space we occupy together as Americans. This is the way gay culture has always been in American culture: from Walt Whitman to Cole Porter.
When Wainwright sings in “Going to a Town,” ‘I’m going to a town that has already been burned down,’ he’s showing us our past and our future. American exceptionalism is blessing and a curse. Through the promise and prophecy of our past, we may never know humbling. It’s from such high horses that condemn homosexuality causing Wainwright to write the lines “Do you think you go to hell for having loved?”
The backdrop for the stage show of this tour is a black and white flag; black and white stripes and in black rather than a blue square at the top left corner are not stars but broaches. The black stripes Wainwright said represented all the pain and the white all the joy in our history. For the broaches, Wainwright insisted they were because he was poor and couldn’t afford stars. But perhaps broaches, the fabulous and flamboyant pendants are actually used to represent the once hidden glittery jewels of America’s closet. Release the stars indeed.
The Wiltern Theater sits at the intersection of Western Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. Built in 1931, The Warner Brothers Western Theater was originally a movie house but through renovations done in the mid 1980s, the theater now functions as a performing arts center hosting live music and other acts. The renovations have remained true to the building’s original art deco design; it was declared a historical landmark in 1979. The Wiltern Theater, considered one of the larger venues in Los Angeles, was sold out for Rufus Wainwright’s L.A. tour stop in support of his album Release the Stars. On Release the Stars, Wainwright moves further away from his singer/songwriter persona and into the territory of showman/entertainer. Those early Gap commercials from the mid 1990s, the ones where Wainwright sat at his piano against a quintessential white backdrop playing a song of our grandparents’ generation, seem half a world away.
The early appeal of Wainwright’s music as an old soul, out of time but not out of step, is gone. With Stars, much like the Want One, Want Two double punch, Wainwright’s music feels very much timely and very much relevant. “Oh What a World,” the first track on Want One, includes the line ‘Why am I always on a plane or a fast train. Oh what a world my parents gave me? Always travelin’ but not in love.’ “Going To a Town,” from his latest effort, continues this modern world commentary with a ballad of displacement and disappointment worthy of a Billy Joel comparison. But, Rufus has morphed into the ultimate Billy Joel / Elton John mash-up; inheriting Joel’s depth and masked darkness along with John’s performance and panache.
That night's show featured a majority of songs from Release the Stars. The title track started off the show like a Broadway first act. Wainwright’s 7 piece backing band was isolated in spotlights prior to his entrance stage left. As the song began a disco ball revolving light show covered the stage in tiny white twinkles, hence releasing the stars. But this being Los Angeles, the song was not about those that fill the night sky but those that fill the stage and screen, stars who no doubt were in attendance that night. As Wainwright mentioned Melrose Avenue in “Release the Stars,” many from the crowd cheered. Wainwright then proceeded to play more tracks from his recent record, including “Sanssucci,” “Tiergarten,” and “Do I Disappoint You?”
The night included a brief intermission, which meant a wardrobe change for Wainwright; from a very colorful suit both bright white and a rainbow of colors from the warmer side of the color wheel to a lederhosen clad outfit of a young German lad. This would not be the only wardrobe change of the evening. The last two songs were off Want One, the glorious “Beautiful Child” followed by “14th Street,” which ended with a long and sustaining banjo solo that played as band members left the stage.
There was a short encore involving a Judy Garland tribute. Rufus Wainwright played two songs from his Rufus does Judy at Carnegie Hall album that featured not just musical accompaniment but choreography as well. “Poses” also made an appearance, the title track of Wainwright’s 1999 album. Sounding somber and sentimental compared to his more recent material, “Poses” was still a crowd-pleaser.
As Wainwright makes clear in his song “Oh What a World,” it’s a much different world for a gay performer now. Gone are the closeted days of Liberace. With Release the Stars, Wainwright seems to be leaving behind the cult figure of songs like “One Man Guy” and “Matinee Idol.” Release the Stars celebrates America. In Greil Marcus’s most recent book: The Shape of Things to Come, he speaks of the American artist, the one voice speaking for the whole. It is in this way Wainwright speaks on Stars, not from his own unique perspective but from the space we occupy together as Americans. This is the way gay culture has always been in American culture: from Walt Whitman to Cole Porter.
When Wainwright sings in “Going to a Town,” ‘I’m going to a town that has already been burned down,’ he’s showing us our past and our future. American exceptionalism is blessing and a curse. Through the promise and prophecy of our past, we may never know humbling. It’s from such high horses that condemn homosexuality causing Wainwright to write the lines “Do you think you go to hell for having loved?”
The backdrop for the stage show of this tour is a black and white flag; black and white stripes and in black rather than a blue square at the top left corner are not stars but broaches. The black stripes Wainwright said represented all the pain and the white all the joy in our history. For the broaches, Wainwright insisted they were because he was poor and couldn’t afford stars. But perhaps broaches, the fabulous and flamboyant pendants are actually used to represent the once hidden glittery jewels of America’s closet. Release the stars indeed.
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