Music to Watch Out For in 2007

So, you’re hungover from celebrating a holiday so contrived that greeting card companies don’t even make money off of it - unless they also own liquor companies - and you’re feeling a little melancholy thinking about this next year and wondering what ups and downs and ins and outs it might hold for you.

Well, I have seen the face of the future, I have climbed high upon the mountain of time, gazed down upon all that live in the valley below, and I am here to report back that it is … good.

Or I guess I’ve heard the face of the future … And my ears? They feel … nice?

At this point, my over-wrought analogy breaks down... Anyway, here are the musics I’m looking to forward the most in ’07.

I’ve been listening to Thailand’s demo tracks for more than a year now, but their self-produced album is finally coming out in January. They’re electro-pop with a Manchester flavor, but much better than that description sounds, and when they played our Let’s Independent! event in October, they got a lot of people talking.

They’re one of the bands that I’d most like to see get one of the vaunted residencies at The Echo or Spaceland in 07.

Another is The Happy Hollows, who are made of fun and put on a great show of music that’s experimental and accessible at the same time. They’re playing a free show – well, free for 21 plus, $3 for 21 minus – at The Troubadour on January 15th and one of The Pity Party residency nights at The Silver Lake Lounge on January 29th.

Local legends The Movies are working on an EP with The Monumental Life, When I Was In Nam, and several other great new songs that they’ve been playing at their live shows. They’re playing next at one of the Monday residency nights for Division Day, who are also rad, at Spaceland on February 5th.

I’ve also been looking forward Sea Wolf’s full-length since I first heard You’re A Wolf on their myspace page over a year ago. Band lead Alex Church has said last October that they should have a label “by the end of the year,” so maybe we’ll hear something new about it soon. After hearing a handful of demos, I already know I’ll love this album.

(They’re playing one of Division Day’s free nights at Spaceland on February 26th.)

I’ve also heard enough of Great Northern and Earlimart’s upcoming albums online to know I will hold them close to my heart light forever, too. Both are due out early this year. I’m not sure when Great Northern are playing here next, but Earlimart is performing at The Getty on Friday, March 9th.

Fresno’s Rademacher are heading into The Ship studio next week to begin recording their first full-length album with Earlimart’s Aaron Espinoza. I’ve really enjoyed their three EPs, so I’m looking forward to hearing what they come up with next. And they’re also playing one of The Pity Party residency dates at The Silver Lake Lounge on January 8th.

And while I’m on the subject of bands from out of town, chamber pop act Saturday Looks Good to Me is playing Spaceland on Thursday, March 8th and I can’t say enough good things about them.

In closure? The end.

RELATED LINKS:
- Band of the Week: Thailand
- Mini-Interview: The Happy Hollows
- Feature Interview: The Movies
- Mini-Interview: Great Northern
- Mini-Interview: Sea Wolf
- Mini-Interview: Division Day
- Mini-Interview: Earlimart
- Mini-Interview: Rademacher
- Mini-Interview: SLGTM's Fred Thomas