indie rock – Page 10

Gemini Club | Culture Collide | 10/11/13

Click here to check out the other bands that I saw perform at Culture Collide 2013

Gemini Club is a four-piece indie-electronic band from Chicago, Illinois that have been earning a lot of praise recently opening for the likes of Chromeo, Two Door Cinema Club and Chateau Marmont. When I was doing research to decide which bands I wanted to see perform at Culture Collide, I found a couple videos of this band’s live performance and I was immediately interested. Though the band’s stage set-up was flanked by two stacks of keyboards, Gemini Club’s live music isn’t preprogrammed. Centered around a drummer, the electronic dance music is a live as live can be. Taking full advantage of MIDI, who says a laptop isn’t an instrument?

I was new to their music, so I wasn’t too familiar with the lyrics of their music, but in this particular instance, I was more focused on their vibe and sound, dancing and grooving to their tunes. Phoenix, Simian Mobile Disco, Hot Chip, Two Door Cinema Club … Gemini Club’s music is on par with the bands listed. Though the set was cut a little short due to set times running late at the venue, their set was filled with the kind of energy that only a confident band with devoted fans could evoke.

There are a lot of electronic bands flooding the music market these days. Gemini Club is an independent band that lacks the backing of a major so it’s their live performance and the word of mouth circulated by their fans that’ll get them noticed in the marketplace. Their live show is solid, and it’s my opinion that if they keep touring relentlessly, they’ll be able to lock in fans for the long haul. Follow them on Facebook, and check out their music. You may want to check them out when they are in your neck of the woods.

Unfortunately, the Flickr slideshow below is not currently available on mobile devices. If you are on a mobile device, please click THIS LINK to get redirected to the set of photos.

Click here to check out the other bands that I saw perform at Culture Collide 2013

November 3, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: alternative dance, chateau marmont, chicago, chromeo, culture collide, culture collide 2013, echoplex, electronic music, filter magazine, Gemini Club, hot chip, illinois, indie electronic, indie rock, phoenix, pop, pop muisc, pop music, tom gavin, two door cinema club 1 Comment

Jacco Gardner | Culture Collide | 10/11/13

Click here to check out the other bands that I saw perform at Culture Collide 2013

I take music reviews with a grain of salt. I do my best to avoid reading them until I’ve already developed my own opinion about the music myself, but when trying to learn about music that I’ve never heard about before, it’s tough not to read an article or two…

When I looked for information about Jacco Gardner, I stumbled on the Pitchfork.com review of Jacco Gardner’s latest release “Cabinet of Curiosities”. In that article, Pitchfork states:

Being compared to such musical luminaries ranging from Brian Wilson to Love is nothing to scoff at. I only listened to a few tracks available on youtube, and decided that I would reserve judgement until I saw him perform live.

Jacco Gardner's setlist. — Jacco Gardner’s setlist.

Gracing the stage at the Echo Park United Methodist Church, he and his full band wistfully played set that was filled with all of those elements that made that Pitchfork reviewer recall the musical, psychedelic pop stylings of Brian Wilson and Love. His arrangements were more complex than I would have expected from a young man in his mid twenties, and his performance was that of a subdued and mature veteran.

I loved his sound. His audience loved his sound. I purchased his LP, and his music sounds incredible on vinyl. It may be tough finding large audiences to fall into his music, but I, for one, am very interested in seeing where he takes it. You can too by following his Facebook account.

Unfortunately, the Flickr slideshow below is not currently available on mobile devices. If you are on a mobile device, please click THIS LINK to get redirected to the set of photos.

Click here to check out the other bands that I saw perform at Culture Collide 2013

November 1, 2013November 1, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: culture collide, culture collide 2013, filter magazine, Indie Folk, indie rock, Jacco Gardner, Neo-Psychedelia, photo, photographs, photos, pic, pics, pictures, pop, Pop Alternative, setlist, slideshow, video, videos 1 Comment

Dead Sara | The Port Of Los Angeles | September 14, 2013

Click here to check out the other blog entries I wrote up for the bands (The Section Quartet, Nightmare & The Cat and Deap Vally) I was able to catch at the 2013 Port Of Los Angeles Lobster Festival.

Dead Sara: THE reason why I went to Lobster Fest at the Port of Los Angeles in the first place. I saw Dead Sara at the El Rey earlier this year, and their show kicked ass. In fact, it’s probably in my top 5 for “best shows of the year” in terms of sheer, overall awesomeness. My only regret from that show was that I wasn’t able to get a decent picture of Siouxie Medley shredding on her guitar.

Objective for their Lobster Fest gig? Snap that elusive picture while avoiding an elbow to the chest in the pit. LOL. I met up with members of the The DEADicated and joined them upfront against the railing. One of the members had been there since noon so as to ensure getting a front row spot. Now, THAT’s dedication.

Dead Sara have been in the studio recording new tracks for their next album and everybody there knew it. A lot of the conversations before their set consisted of “What do you think they’ll be playing?” and “Do you think they’ll play any of their new stuff?”. The anticipation was high. Extremely high.

As Dead Sara took the stage to set up, I shouted, “I love you Siouxie!” then ducked behind another member of the DEADicated. I noticed Siouxie look up from tuning her guitar, but I didn’t point myself out. Talk about total, juvenile crush move there. Actually getting embarrassed thinking about it. LOL. I noticed to my left that there was a young girl and her father. I warned them that the crowd up front may start to get a little rowdy when the music got more intense, and told them that I’d do my best to make sure that his daughter wasn’t trampled.

The set started, and Emily started with the more mellow “Sorry For It All”, but as soon as the guitar lick for “Test On My Patience” kicked in next, the crowd started to swell and get anxious. As soon as “Monumental Holiday” started, the moshing commenced. I’ll admit, it was kinda tough to take pictures, protect the little girl next to me, and mosh, but really, it’s hard to care when you love the music so much. After “Monumental Holiday”, Dead Sara unveiled, to the crowd’s delight, one of their new songs “Mona Lisa”. Two songs later they unveiled another named “Greaser”. Videos taken of each are immediately below:

After “Greaser”, I decided to leave my spot up front and see if I could get better shots elsewhere. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and by that time, the battery in my camera had expired. C’est la vie. I was able to get a few cool shots of band, and Siouxsie, but I still feel like I can get better with my Sony Cybershot. Well … looks like I’ll have to catch them again when they start gigging later this year. Ohhh, yeah … late November maybe? At least those are the rumors …

Sean Friday and Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara.

Dead Sara's Chris Null — Dead Sara’s Chris Null

Dead Sara's Siouxsie Medley — Dead Sara’s Siouxsie Medley

Emily Armstrong and Sean Friday of Dead Sara

September 21, 2013September 21, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: 2013 Lobster Festival, chris null, concert, dead sara, emily armstrong, fact to face, festival, greaser, hard rock, indie, indie rock, killing in the name of, kroq, lemon scent, Lobster Festival, lobsterfest, mona lisa, monumental, new music, new songs, rock, sean friday, siouxie medley, sorry, test, weatherman 2 Comments

Girl in a Coma | The Echoplex | September 12, 2013

Girl In A Coma. I love this band. Since I first saw them featured on an episode of Last Call with Carson Daly back in November of 2011 , I’ve seen this San Antonio, TX based Indie Rock band, or their lead singer, perform live four times . This year I saw the group perform at the Ink-N-Iron Festival and their lead singer, Nina Diaz, perform a solo set at the Hotel Café the day after. Their performance at the Echoplex on September 12, 2013 makes the cumulative number of times I’ve seen them perform live five.

I got to the venue early enough to catch the girls hanging out and spent a few minutes chatting with Phanie (the drummer). She told me about the band’s plans to start recording tracks for their next album after they wrap up their current tour and our mutual, and random (she’s the only friend of mine on Facebook who “likes” them), interest in the indie rock band, Screaming Females.

There was a lot going on in Los Angeles on September 12, 2013 (ie. Pixies playing the El Rey, Dave Stewart & Friends at the Troubadour, Jimmy Cliff’s free concert on the Santa Monica Pier, and Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon playing in her new band Body/Head right upstairs in the Echo, etc.) but GIAC’s dedicated fans still showed up in numbers. I met up with another die-hard GIAC fan (who brought his daughter to the show) and he pointed out a fan who was in the military and was to ship out the next day to the middle east. GIAC’s fan loyalty has no bounds.

The girls rocked their set. Rather than go on in this entry about how awesome their performance was (which I’ve written about before here and here), just know that they deliver live, and if you are into their music, you will not be disappointed with their live show.

My autographed LP amongst the band's mercy. — My autographed LP amongst the band’s merchandise.

After they finished their set, I lingered a bit to get them to sign my 2013 Record Store Day, limited edition, blue vinyl copy of their first album “Both Before I’m Gone”. Apparently, I must have been the last person who left the venue since the valet mysteriously disappeared with my keys. While waiting for my keys, I waited outside while the girls were loading up their van. Being as cool as they are, and after I had retrieved my keys, they snapped a picture with me before I took off.

Girl in a Coma are performing throughout the west and midwest through November. Follow them on Facebook or Twitter to know when they are in your neck of the woods. In the meantime, you can check out the pictures and video highlights I took at the gig I went to. Unfortunately, from where I was standing I couldn’t get many decent shots of Jenn (bassist) or Phanie performing, but I doubt people are going to mind the excess number of pictures of Nina. Enjoy!

Setlist, as provided by the drummer, Phanie Diaz:

Say
One Eyed Fool
Control
Adjust
Slaughter Ln
Si Una Vez
She Had A Plan
Ven Cerca
El Monte
Sly
Smart
Little Red Riding Hood (cover of Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs version)
Here is Now
Invisible
Encore: Their Cell (acoustic)

GIAC — Girl In A Coma at the Echoplex 9/12/13

Nina Diaz of Girl in a Comat at the Echoplex 9/12/13

Nina Diaz of Girl In A Coma at the Echoplex 9/12/13

Jenn Alva of Girl In A Coma at the Echoplex 9/12/13

Nina and Phanie Diaz of Girl In A Coma at the Echoplex 9/12/13

Jenn Alva Girl In A Coma hanging with fans after their at the Echoplex 9/12/13

Phanie Diaz of Girl In A Coma autographing a fan's LP (FYI, this fan used to drum for the Beastie Boys back in the day) after their at the Echoplex 9/12/13 — Phanie Diaz of Girl In A Coma autographing a fan’s LP (FYI, this fan used to drum for the Beastie Boys back in the day) after their at the Echoplex 9/12/13

Me and the gals of Girl in a Coma after their set at the Echoplex 9/12/13

September 16, 2013September 16, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: adjust, alternative rock, blackheart records, control, del monte speakeasy, echo, echoplex, el monte, giac, girl in a coma, here is now, indie rock, invisible, jenn alva, little red riding hood, nina diaz, one eyed fool, phanie diaz, photos, pictures, punk rock, puro heart, Review, rock and roll, say, set list, setlist, slaughter lane, sly, smart, their cell, video, videos Leave a comment

Shlohmo | FYF Festival | August 25, 2013

To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.

Earlier in the day I had watched Tom Krell p/k/a How To Dress Well perform, and having done some research before the festival about different projects he had worked on, I found a video on youtube of a track How To Dress Well performed on produced by Henry Laufer p/k/a Shlohmo called “Don’t Say No”.

Intrigued by the sound and the fact that he was apparently working with Tom Krell, I decided to buy his latest LP “Bad Vibes” and after a couple spins on my record player, I decided that I’d put him on the list of acts I wanted to check out at the Festival. I’m not a big fan of DJ sets- I’m more of a live band kinda guy- but having enjoyed Flying Lotus in the past year at the Hollywood Bowl, I decided to swing by the tent where he was performing to check out a bit of his set.

As the “house lights” dimmed, and the smoke machines started pumping out a thick mist over the stage, Shlohmo came up to his DJ console and started his set. His live set was a little different than I had expected. “Don’t Say No” and “Bad Vibes” are very moody records, extremely ambient in there overall approach . The live set still carried the eerie mysticism of the music that I had purchased and watched before the festival, but during the fifteen minutes that I watched, it didn’t feel as lo-fi as maybe I had wanted. Missing was the interstitial feedback and ambient hisses that gave “Bad Vibes” its unique sound. The live show was almost too “clean.”

Don’t get me wrong. The music was good … the filled tent of bobbing heads was proof of that, and I love “Bad Vibes” (which sounds amazing on vinyl) …. but like I said, I’m more of a live band kind of guy.

September 11, 2013September 11, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: alternative, bad vibes, beats, concert, DJ, don't say no, drum and bass, dubstep, fyf, fyf fest, fyf fest 2013, fyfest, fyffest, fyffest 2013, hip hop, house, indie electronic, indie rock, left field hip hop, producer, Review, shlohmo, video Leave a comment

!!! (ChkChkChk) | FYF Festival | August 25, 2013

To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.

Nic Offer of !!! (ChkChkChk) getting into the audience during their set.

MI0003521993 — !!!’s latest album cover.

Over the past 5 months, while perusing a local store, I kept noticing an album cover for a band that I wasn’t familiar with (see right). The band’s name was !!! (pronounced ‘ChkChkChk’) and a record store employee told me that they were from Northern California and described their style of music as dance. I didn’t ask to hear any of the music play on the store sound system, and for some reason I neglected to look them up online each time I got home, but I was often reminded of them often because the cover to their LP was always staring me in the face whenever I entered that record store .

Fast forward to the FYF Festival, I noticed that they were listed as an early evening set. I decided to check them out, and anticipated an energetic set. I was not disappointed. A large band consisting of 8 members, the music was groove centric, the band was tight, and the lead singer was singing and busting moves all over the stage. In fact, the lead singer’s energy was off the charts and it spread into the audience as everybody around me was bouncing to their tunes. My first impression was that !!!’s sound was if David Byrnes of the Talking Heads started up in the 2010s, with splashes of LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip. Take a listen/look at the video clip below to make your own opinion.

Nic Offer of !!! "saluting" the crowd. — Nic Offer of !!! “saluting” the crowd.

The photographers in the press pit left after their second song, and Nic Offer, the lead singer, yelled out, “Hey, where you guys going?!?! I’ll only get cuter and cuter as the set goes on!” He laughed into the mic, and the band kept the set rolling. His stage manner had a likable, cocky air to it and it was infectious, as everybody was, while eyes transfixed on the stage, moving to the rhythm. The vibe was so positive that time seemed to pass instantly. When their set had ended, I was left wanting more, and it was a good indicator that I should probably purchase that LP to add to my collection and catch them when they are back in town.

September 5, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: !!!, alternative, alternative rock, ChkChkChk, club, club music, concert, dance music, electronic, electronic music, fyf, fyf fest, fyf fest 2013, fyffest, fyffest 2013, indie electronic, indie rock, live, photos, pic, pics, pictures, pop, pop music, Review Leave a comment

No Age | FYF Festival | August 25, 2013

To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.

No Age rocking the FYF Festival for the 7th time.

No Age is a two-person, lo-fi punk band based in Los Angeles. They performed earlier in the summer as part of Santa Monica Pier’s Twilight Concert series, but I wasn’t able to attend the free concert, so I figured I swing by their set at FYF to check them out.

No Age have the distinct honor of being the band who’s played the festival the most-seven times, with the festival being in its 10th year- and they played like it. I don’t have any of their albums, but they definitely played songs that I’ve heard before (a video snippet below of “Fever Dreaming” is a song that I’m sure you’ve heard before too).

They shred through their set with a vigor that translated well with the audience, as the crowd became of rolling mosh pit of raucous teens with bodies surfing left and right. I could see the security guards catching bodies falling from the railing up front. Lots of fun and a lot of energy. If you were looking for a nice little post-punk pick me up during the day, these guys were it.

Setlist sourced from setlist.fm:

No Ground
Circling With Dizzy
C’mon, Stimmung
Lock Box
Teen Creeps
Fever Dreaming
I Won’t Be Your Generator

September 5, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: dean allen spunt, drum and guitar, fyf, fyf fest, fyf fest 2013, fyfest, fyffest, indie rock, lo-fi, los angele, los angeles rock band, no age, noise pop, noise rock, post punk, punk, punk music, punk rock, punk rock music, randy randall Leave a comment

The Orwells | FYF Festival | August 25, 2013

To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.

I wasn’t planning on catching their set, but I got to the festival grounds early enough to catch the tail end of a rock band from Elmhurst, Illinois: The Orwells. They are a young band … literally … the oldest member- lead singer Mario Cuomo- is 18, and the rest of the band members are 17, and their music, loud and energetic, seemed to be the soundtrack for a new, young, wave of punk fans.

Mario Cuomo, dressed in a Chicago Bulls jersey- and only a Chicago Bulls jersey- kept the audience of his peers moving to the music, encouraging them to get the party started in the midday sun, which they happily obliged. Before you knew it, kids started crowd surfing.

The youth and punk music. There really isn’t a better pairing. As long as they keep on writing catchy tunes like “Mallrats (La La La)” (a sample video is below), they could very well be performing on main-stages at music festivals in the near future.

The bassist of The Orwells. — Grant Brinner of The Orwells.

September 3, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: elmhurst, fyf, fyf festival, fyf festival 2013, fyfest, fyffest, garage, garage punk, garage punk revival, illinois, indie rock, la la la, mallrats, mallrats (la la la), mario cuomo, orwells, photos, pictures, punk rock, the orwells Leave a comment

Yeah Yeah Yeahs | FYF Festival | August 24, 2013

To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.

I’ve already professed my love for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs earlier this year after I saw them at Coachella back in April, so I’m going to limit this entry to pictures that I took at FYF Festival. The band still kicks ass. Karen O is still a rock star.

I got the set list from setlist.fm.

Mosquito
Phenomena
Under the Earth
Rich
Gold Lion (We Will Rock You Intro)
Zero
Cheated Hearts
Runaway
Despair
Sacrilege
Heads Will Roll
Maps
Date With the Night

My favorite pic that I took of Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Confetti released towards the end of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs set.

September 2, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: alternative rock, concert, concert review, fyf, fyf fest 2013, fyfest, fyffest, fyffest 2013, garage punk, indie rock, karen o, kareno, photos, post punk, post punk revival, punk, Review, set list, setlist, the yeah yeah yeahs, video, yeah yeah yeahs Leave a comment

TV On The Radio | FYF Festival | August 24, 2013

To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.

TV on the Radio is a critically acclaimed, Brooklyn based rock group which formed in 2001. I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t too familiar with the band’s repertoire. It probably has something to do with the fact that their first album came out while I was in law school. I was pretty much out touch with everything for those three years of my life.

Playing catch up before the festival, I spent time with their 4th studio album “Dear Science” and watched some of the videos (“Wolf Like Me” and “Will Do”) that popped up on the top of the list when I googled them. It was hard rocking, complex music. It’s very hard to describe. Their music is an amalgam of styles that seems to mesh together seamlessly. Having worked with members of Yeah Yeah Yeahs on other projects, it was actually quite fitting to have them in the slot right before YYYs.

Their crowd at the FYF Festival was impressive and they played a confident set of songs, old and new. They’ve released five albums and five Eps. I’m going to have to do some more listening and pick up some of their albums. Any suggestions?

Set list sourced from setlist.fm:

Young Liars
Golden Age
Dancing Choose
Blues From Down Here
Million Miles
Mercy
Repetition
Wolf Like Me
Forgotten
Starting at the Sun

September 2, 2013September 2, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: alternative rock, art rock, concert, experimental rock, fyf fest, fyf fest 2013, fyfest, fyffest, fyffest2013, indie rock, kyp malone, live, Review, set list, setlist, tunde adebimpe, tv on the radio Leave a comment