To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.
Leaving The Locust, I headed back to the main stage to meet up with some friends and to get a good spot for both TV on the Radio and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Performing on the main stage, as I was walking toward it, was an experimental noise rock band from Atlanta, Georgia: Deerhunter.
Brandford Cox of Deerhunter at FYF Fest 2013
I wasn’t familiar with the band, but from where I was, and what I could hear, it came off pretty good. I’ll have to admit, I was a little thrown off as I thought the lead singer was a woman. After all, he was wearing a dress and a wig, and his voice was kinda Yoko Ono-ish. It was more shocking than anything when he tore off the wig half way into the set, and for a minute there I was lost in my own confusion.
Though I arrived midway through their set, I could tell that the music hit on elements of alternative, punk and shoe gazing. I was starting to get into it by the time their set came to a close, but before I knew it, Bradford Cox (the lead singer) put his wig back on, picked up a purse from the ground, and walked off stage.
Brandford Cox of Deerhunter at FYF Fest 2013Brandford Cox of Deerhunter at FYF Fest 2013 shredding behind the back.Brandford Cox of Deerhunter at FYF Fest 2013
To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.
My day of music was originally supposed to start with Charles Bradley, but I got to the main stage a little earlier than anticipated and happened to catch the back end of Mikal Cronin‘s set. Raised in Laguna Beach, California, his music has that indie rock / garage punk / surf rock sound that is native to area. Though this was my first time seeing him perform and listening to his music, I could understand why the crowd showed up early in the day to catch his 4:00pm set. A little grunge, a little pop, and catchy hooks can put almost any rocker in happy mood. My day was off to a decent start.
Mikal CroninMikal Cronin’s DrummerMikal CroninThe obligatory rock and roll hair shot.
Earlier this year, a friend of mine from elementary school, Yoko, sent me a message on Facebook that I should check out a band play at The Echo called Geographer. A lot of friends and associates suggest bands for me to check out, and my obsessio …. curiosity about new music usually gets me to at least look the band up, but I’ve consistently seen this friend at random shows I’ve attended over the past few years, so her suggestion didn’t go unnoticed. I listened to the music, liked it, and wanted to see the band perform, but as fate would have it, tickets had already sold out. I messaged her back and she messaged me that she would give me a heads up the next time the band was scheduled to be in Los Angeles.
Fast forward about 4 months, and I get another message from my friend that Geographer was playing a free concert at the Getty as part of the “Saturdays off the 405” summer series. It had been a while since I had attended a show at the Getty, and I was excited at the chance of checking them out at that beautiful venue. Reading a review about how the wait in line to park at the museum for these concerts sometimes takes upwards of an hour and a half, I bought a sandwich and head over early, hours before the the scheduled set time. My planning didn’t really go as planned, and the cars waiting to park were already lined up and down Sepulveda. So I waited patiently.
After 5 minutes sitting in traffic, I texted Yoko to see where she and her friend were at. She texted me back saying that they were parking.
After 15 minutes sitting in traffic, since I hadn’t seen Yoko in a while, I checked out her Facebook page. I knew she had gotten married in the past year, so I figured now would be a good time to learn her new last name.
After 30 minutes sitting in traffic … I was still sitting in traffic.
After 45 Minutes sitting in traffic, I decided to look up the band to get more info about their history. The lead singer’s name was Mike Deni. The cellist’s name was Nathan Blaz. The Drummer’s name was Brian Ostreicher … wait a minute. That name sounded familiar. I went back to Yoko’s Facebook page to confirm- even though I had just commit it to memory- that her married name was Ostreicher. HAHAHA. What I love about the whole situation was that Yoko never tried to get me to check out the band based on her literal “relationship” to them. For that, she gets perpetual music, brownie points.
KCRW DJ Mario Cotto Warming Up The Crowd
After waiting an hour, I finally pulled into the lot to park my car. I took the tram up to the museum, found a spot, and ate my sandwich while looking over the scenic views of Los Angeles from the Getty, and afterwards found to a spot stage right while Mario Cotto, a KCRW DJ was spinning tunes. Yoko met up with me, and we caught up a little. She told me that she would be working the merchandise table, and I told her that I would meet up with her again after the band wrapped up.
Geographer is an eclectic electro-indie pop group and their music reminded me a bit of Passion Pit, MGMT, Animal Collective and Erasure all rolled up into a unique trio. I was particularly taken with Nathan Blaz on the electric cello. It was the first time I’ve seen an electric cello used effectively in a band, and its sound was lush, adding rich layers to the electronic arrangements. I imagined what it would sound like if Nathan had a chance to have a session with Miguel Atwood-Ferguson. I’m sure that would be something.
Together with Mike Deni’s gentle vocals and Brian Ostreicher’s surging drumming, the music bounced off the high stone walls and glass windows of the Getty and created a wonderful musical experience for those in attendance, despite the long wait to park. LOL.
Mike Deni of GeographerNathan Blaz of GeographerBrian Ostreicher of Geographer
I texted Yoko and asked her to set an LP aside for me when the set ended. Before meeting up with her, I caught up with another friend to say, “Hi.” It was all for the better as the merchandise line was incredibly long, and seemingly never ending. When the line died down, I head over to say my hellos. Yoko pulled out the LP I asked her to save, and we chatted and caught up some more. Speaking with the guards/ushers, they told me that I could hang out for a minute, and I had a chance to get the guys to autograph my LP. Yoko took a picture of me with the guys, but I seemed to have accidentally deleted it. All good though. I think I’ll be able to get another picture with the fellas when they’re back in Los Angeles later in the year. After all, I did grow up with the drummer’s wife … LOL.
Mike Deni of GeographerNathan Blaz of GeographerBrian Ostreicher of Geographer
The first time I heard Tijuana Tears play, it was at a ridiculously awesome house party at Frank Sinatra’s old mansion (Toddchella). What I remember most from their set that night was that their original songs were solid. For any recording artist, it’s the songs that matter most. Style and talent can get you far, but if the material you’re performing isn’t any good … well … then you’re career is going to be pretty short. These guys had some original songs that I really got into. If I’ve never heard the song before, and I’m singing the hook half way through “Phantasmic Consciousness”, I’m pretty sure that song is a keeper.
I finally got a chance to see them again live at a venue in Silver Lake called The Virgil. By the time I walked into the venue, I noticed a small group already crowded around the merchandise table to buy the band’s newest screen-print t-shirt. The band before them was still playing and I walked around the venue to check out the digs. I bumped into a couple of the guys in the band, and they genuinely thanked me for coming out to see them play. Very appreciative. Very humble. Reza noticed the music pins on lapel of my concert backpack, and ran over to the merchandise booth to grab me one. Although I had only hung out with them once before, their kindness went a long way to make me feel like family.
The guys took to the small stage and started their set off with a new song that I hadn’t heard before, and continued to rock through songs from the 5 song EP they released in 2012, which you can download from their bandcamp site by naming your own price: http://tijuanatears.bandcamp.com/album/phantasmic-consciousness.
They played all of the songs that I remember them playing from that raucous evening months ago, and I still enjoyed each song, and the way they performed, as much I did then. This time sober. They filled the room with an infectious energy, and while looking around between songs, all I could was smiles. And if the audience wasn’t smiling, they were singing along. After the set, Matt M. (the guitarist) shot me a text with the set list. The first song of their set was, at the time, untitled, but after checking out some other clips online, it seems they’ve titled it “The Narrows”. The setlist texted is below:
They have a gig coming up at The Satellite Monday, August 12th 2013. If you happen to be in Los Angeles that evening, and you like what you see/hear in the video link below, I highly recommend that you see these guys play. If you’re busy that night, you should go ahead and check out their website (http://www.tijuanatears.com) to find the links to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Soundcloud and catch them at a small venue before they’re playing bigger ones.
It’s hard to get friends to check out new bands … on a Sunday. LOL.
Years ago, a buddy of mine introduced me to a band named What Made Milwaukee Famous (“WMMFamous”). He played me a song call “Cheap Wine” and I was hooked. I tried following the band, but it didn’t seem that they were particularly active. I chalked them up as a casualty of the music industry, and figured I’d only hear their tracks when they popped up in my iTunes playlist.
I thought it was a shame, because their music was really good (I’m a huge fan of their second album “What Doesn’t Kill Us”) and it seemed that they were making good progress with getting their music out there to the masses. After all, they were one of the few unsigned acts to ever play Austin City Limits, supported the Smashing Pumpkins and Franz Ferdinand, and they had a deal with Barsuk Records (home of Death Cab for Cutie, Ra Ra Riot, etc.).
One day, I got a notice about WMMFamous playing a local bar in Santa Monica, and I jumped at getting some tickets. Their gig was on a Sunday, so I knew it’d be a tough sell, but I tried spreading the word. Unfortunately, no one wanted to come out. Their loss.
After running some errands during the day, I got to the venue early. Central SAPC is a lot nicer than it’s predecessor, 14 Below. I was one of the first people to get there, and relaxed on a couch in the performance room. The couches were comfy, and the music the bar was playing was good. I could have taken a nap. Hung out with the staff for a minute, and they were very accommodating.
The first act that played was band named Only You, fronted by a singer named Rachel Fannan. It was a refreshing sound, a kind of modernized throw back to Americana. Kinda like Roy Orbison if his music was sung by Fiona Apple. I enjoyed Only You and “liked” Rachel’s Facebook fan page. It’ll be interesting to watch how her band’s music develops.
After Only You, WMMFamous began setting up. I started to get anxious. The band was able to pull in a modest crowd considering it was a Sunday. It certainly wasn’t empty, but I was able to get a nice spot up front with a stool. The band started the set, and I was both happy and sad. Happy that I was there enjoying their music, and sad that I couldn’t recruit people to the show.
People have compared WMMFamous to bands like Spoon and the Wrens, but I think those comparisons are really just based on the fact that they are all indie-rock bands. Granted, my own real perspective of WMMFamous was their album “What Doesn’t Kill Us”, but that album is musically, in my opinion, wonderfully complex. There are elements from different types of musical genres that permeate that record, and though some critics may have criticized it, I loved it. It’s high production value, catchy melodies, and general feel-good mood get my thumbs up. Plus the lead singer (Michael Kingcaid) is solid. If I had to describe them, I’d want to say that they were kind of like Jellyfish, if Jellyfish grew up in Austen. That’s just what I’m thinking…
The set was excellent. Musically, and vocally, the band hit all of the songs that I was a fan of. Michael’s voice sounded as good live, as it did on the album, and that was impressive. Because of the intimate nature of the venue, Michael was able to banter with the audience. He told us how the band loves it in Los Angeles, and wants to head out here more often, if not permanently. He acknowledged that there were long-time fans in audience, and dedicated some of the “oldies” to us. He told us about all of the shit that happened on the way to Los Angeles, like the tire blowing out on the highway. I yelled, “It’s rock and roll”. He replied, “It would have been rock and roll if we just left it busted,” then laughed.
After their set, the band hit the bar and the merchandise table. I picked up the first, and most recent albums to round out my collection, and also picked up some very cool vinyl singles. Each of the covers was a hand cut, glued, made and numbered, and the vinyl itself was actually not vinyl at all.
I spoke with Michael briefly and asked him why the band hadn’t released any music in a while, and he gave me the break down. Not going to air it out here, and someone’s probably already written about it (And I was right … click here to read an article of the tough road Michael Kingcaid has been on), but needless to say, life can get tough. He was a real congenial dude, and he told me that the band plans on coming back out to Los Angeles for future gigs. I sure hope so. Maybe it’ll be on a Friday or Saturday, and it’ll be an easier sell to my friends…
Michael Kingcaid. Lead Singer and founder of What Made Milwaukee Famous
I’m extremely grateful that my friends – most of my friends – have good taste in music.
On 3/28/13, a buddy of mine shoots me a text at 11:22am about a show that he’s planning on going to in Hollywood on 3/29/13. He tells me that a friend of his is managing a band based out of Nashville called The Weeks. He described them as “Shit kickin Southern rock” and that the band had recently signed to the Kings of Leons of record label, Serpents and Snakes. My buddy knows I’m a fan of Kings of Leon, so he was basically telling something that would peak my curiosity.
I check out the band’s Facebook page and I am immediately impressed with what I hear. Their latest release, “Gutter Gaunt Gangster” definitely has a Southern Rock feel to it, but it also definitely had catchy hooks and clean production value. It’s only 8 tracks, (with one track only 50 seconds long), so it wasn’t long before I had streamed the album 4 or 5 times in a row. It’s a loud and fun album that feels like a party.
I do a little research online and read that the band hails from Mississippi, and they are, in fact, currently signed to the Kinds of Leon’s record label, but they definitely have a sound distinct from KOL. They remind a little bit of We Were Promised Jetpacks but with a little more funk, and a little bit like Band of Horses but with more edge on the guitars. Mind you, I based this on only the one album I was listening to.
The songwriting is solid. Each member of the band may be in their early twenties, but you probably wouldn’t be able to tell it from the their songs on this album. The album opens with “The House We Grew Up” which seems to be their statement to the world that they’re on a mission with this music thing. The rest of the album seems to follow the general theme, with the band singing about looking for something better and confronting those things that have tried to hold them back.
If you listen to the lyrics on this album, a lot lyrics seems to come from an intense place. They use religious references freely, but it isn’t preachy. Rather, it just adds to the intense emotions they are bringing to the music.Take for example the following lyrics in “Stigmata” which has an uplifting chord progression that seems to contrast with its heavy lyrical content:
“I met the man who raped my childhood/ Oh well, we were never young it’s true/ But when everyone around you keeps dying lord,/ What the hell are we supposed to do. […] I blame the devil, what else could it be/ I blame Jesus, he ain’t answering me/ Don’t call me depressed, don’t call me sad,/ I’m giving up on this life I had”
But I digress. This isn’t supposed to be a review about the album though. Just trust me that it’s really good.
I text my buddy back and let him know that I’m going to make the show. It was a long work week, so I try to figure out a way to get to the venue without driving. I ended up getting a ride from a friend who was heading the same direction, where I spent a greater majority of the ride trying assure the person driving, who also was happening to have a bad week, that things will get better, and that they had to keep pushing through the hard times … kind of fitting, right?
“Don’t let the smooth taste fool you.”
It had been a long, long time since I had been to Three Clubs, and I was surprised that I totally forgot about the portrait of Billy Dee Williams with a Colt45 gracing the end of the bar in the performance area. It was definitely a sign of good things to come. I met up with my friend, and after briefly meeting some of his friends, I made a b-line to the bar to grab some drinks: a shot of Jameson and a Dewars on the rocks.
Shelly Colvin, a singer songwriter, was opening for the band while I ordered my drinks. Her smooth, laid back vocals helped the shot of Jameson go down quite smooth. I sauntered back out to the patio to catch up with my friend.
As I went back in later to get another drink, Shelly was finishing up her set. I got another shot of Jameson and Dewars con rocks and made my way to the front of the stage. As the band took to the stage, they took a minute to adjust the position some of their equipment. It was a really small stage. Shelly sang back up vocals a few songs, and her mic had to be set up off-stage left, and the keys had to be pushed to the far back to make way for the drum kit. The stage may have teeny, but the band worked every square inch of it.
Damien Bone killing it on bass.Cyle Barnes rocking out.
I had only heard the songs from their latest EP, but they seemed to have played their older (and maybe newer?) songs in their set as well. It really didn’t matter that I didn’t know all of the songs in their set though. The band took that little, teeny weeny stage and made it their bitch. Imploring the crowd to move closer to the stage, they fed off the crowd, and themselves, and really kept the set moving with their energy.
The energy in that club was electric and the rising temperature of the room vouches that statement. The music hit hard, fast and frenetic. The Southern rock roots, laced with funk and soul, made the it easy to dance to and the crowd in front of the stage was moving to the rhythms. The live show was groovier than I expected.
It seemed like the set flew by, and that was because everyone was having a good time. By the end, my shirt was sticking to body, drenched in sweat. I made a b-line to the merchandise table to pick up a vinyl copy of the album. I caught the band on the patio cooling down and took a few pictures of the players from the evening. This one was my favorite… Probably because Shelly is a cutie.
Shelly Colvin and Sam Williams relaxing after the gig.
I offered to buy a round of drinks and Damien and Shelly accepted. I did a shot of Jameson with Damien and Shelly had glass of champagne. She appreciated the gesture, and kindly gave me a copy of her latest CD: “Up The Hickory Down The Pines”. I say I got the better end of the deal. Another of their fans was getting autographs on a T-Shirt, and after she was done, I borrowed the permanent marker to see if I could get all of their autographs on the LP I had just purchased. In my boozy haze, I think I may have missed a few. LOL. But I did like the fact that one of the guys had “branded” the LP with an “LA 2013”. A rock and roll time-stamp, if you will. Click here if you’d like to see some more of my music treasure.
Partially autographed LP.
It turns out that some of the band members wanted to grab a bite to eat, and my buddy suggested a nearby taco truck that was supposed to have some of the best pastor soft tacos. Ended up getting tacos with Alex Collier (keys), Damien Bone (bass) and Sam Williams (guitar). We grubbed it up, and afterwards, headed our separate ways.
Getting late night tacos with Alex Collier (keys), Damien Bone (bass) and Sam Williams (guitar).
The guys were continuing on their tour, and let me know they would be opening for Kings of Leon over the summer in Europe. I wished them the best, and they told me to pick up their upcoming album when it gets released. I assured them that I would.
Here’s their official video for “The house We Grew Up In” from “Gutter GauntGangter”
Here are some video clips from the show that I took.
The lineup for Coachella 2013 came out last night, and the first band listed, to my immense joy, was The Stone Roses.
There are other notable acts that were listed: Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand (2004 anybody?), Vampire Weekend, Grizzly Bear, Hot Chip and Passion Pit (Coachella 2010 revisited?), Lou Reed, Postal Service, OMD and New Order (British New Wave contingent?), Descendents, Violent Femmes and DInosaur Jr (80s, early 90s, throwbacks?)… BUT, my quest for the a “golden wristband” (Coachella issues wristbands instead of tickets) is ground in the fact that The Stone Roses are headlining Friday night.
Their self-titled debut album was a sensation. From the moment you pressed play, there was no reason to fast forward or skip through tracks because, as a whole, that album was perfect. Their brand of indie rock fused guitar pop with dance culture, but it’s attitude was all rock and roll.
Lead singer Ian Brown’s vocals assumed a laid back and nonchalant approach which seems almost to be contradictory in style to the underlying music, but it all meshed together. “I Am the Resurrection”, “I Wanna Be Adored” and “She Bangs The Drums” are highlights from the album.
I’ve noticed that a lot of the “kids” responding to the line-up news seem to be disappointed with some of the selections. They seem to be more upset that Daft Punk or other “dance” acts aren’t on the bill. What they don’t seem to understand is that The Stone Roses have musical, historical relevance in that they created an album that brought, and in late 80s and early 90s, “dance music to an audience that was previously obsessed with droning guitars, while it revived the concept of classic pop songwriting and the repercussions of its achievement could be heard throughout the ’90s.” (quoted from http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-stone-roses-mw0000653335)
It’s too bad that the younger generations can’t understand how big this act is in the context of music history. Hopefully, newbies at their crowd at Coachella will hear and feel the the amazingness of their music like I did when I first pressed play on that used cassette tape that I bought back in high-school.
Cheers, Goldenvoice and Coachella. You’ve made one hopeful patron very happy.
I texted Yoko and asked her to set an LP aside for me when the set ended. Before meeting up with her, I caught up with another friend to say, “Hi.” It was all for the better as the merchandise line was incredibly long, and seemingly never ending. When the line died down, I head over to say my hellos. Yoko pulled out the LP I asked her to save, and we chatted and caught up some more. Speaking with the guards/ushers, they told me that I could hang out for a minute, and I had a chance to get the guys to autograph my LP. Yoko took a picture of me with the guys, but I seemed to have accidentally deleted it. All good though. I think I’ll be able to get another picture with the fellas when they’re back in Los Angeles later in the year. After all, I did grow up with the drummer’s wife … LOL.
#DKLPHOTOS 