The Monday Show Low Down (Or "Your Eyes Have Two Different Kinds of Stars...")

Over the last few days, I've caught great sets from Fol Chen, The Spires, The Henry Clay People, and The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra -- and the best shows I've seen yet from the last two, at that.

That's on top of all the excellent shows earlier last week... Fun times. And this week looks as good or better.

Monday, June 30
- The French Semester, The Coral Sea, Teddy's Cheer Club, & Rumi @ Mr T's Bowl (FREE)
- Spider Problem, Halloween Swim Team, & Letron @ The Silver Lake Lounge (FREE)
- Rumspringa, Slang Chicken, & 1921A @ The Echo
- Lukas Haas @ The Hotel Cafe
- The Mae Shi, Winning, & Andy Dixon @ The Smell
- Patton Oswalt & Michael Penn @ Largo
- The Mae Shi, Widow Babies, & Bipolar Bear @ The Smell
- Sean Carnage Presents SUMMER POOL PARTY 2 NIGHT FEST!!! Night 2 w/ Kyle Mabson and Josh Taylor, Dommm, Laco$te, Extreme Animals, Hard Place, The Amazements @ Pehrspace
- Graves, The Gift Machine, & Courtney Marie Andrews @ Echo Curio
- Indie 103.1 Presents...Check One Two Mondays w/ Iglu & Hartly and Kenan Bell @ The Viper Room
- Afternoons, The Happy Hollows, The Movies, & The Boxing Lesson @ Spaceland (FREE)

DECISION:
Tonight represents a really tough call between The French Semester with The Coral Sea versus Afternoons with The Movies and The Happy Hollows. Either way, you can't lose...

Tuesday, July 1
- KXLU Presents The Mae Shi, Death To Anders, Die Rockers Die, & Light FM @ Spaceland
- Gravy Train, Bridez, & Frisco Dykes @ The Echo (early)
- Gravy Train, Bridez, & Dragon Suede Boy @ The Echo (late)
- Megafaun & Dustin Fire @ Echo Curio
- T-Bowl Tuesdays @ Mr T's Bowl
- We Are Scientists w/ The Morning Benders & The Blood Arm @ The El Rey
- The Make Mentions, Kris Special, & Marvelous Toy @ The Silver Lake Lounge

DECISION:
Tuesday is all about The Mae Shi, Death To Anders, Die Rockers Die, and Light FM at Spaceland. Both Death To Anders and Light FM should be busting out some new material.

Wednesday, July 2
- Modey Lemon & The Muslims @ The Echo
- Zombelle & Clapsclap @ The Smell
- Kind Hearts and Coronets & Jack Parsons Rock Opera Puppet Show @ Mr T's Bowl
- Emery Byrd, Ride on Rides, & Monstro Flora @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Heavy Winged, Magic Lantern, Warm Climate, & Sasqrotch @ Echo Curio
- Learning Music, Mia Sable, Patria Jacobs, & Suki Ewers @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Jack Wilson Jr, @ Southwest Museum

DECISION:
Anyone have any recommendations for Wednesday night? (Post a comment below.)

Thursday, July 3
- Radio Free Silver Lake and LA Underground Present: The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra CD Release Event w/ Fol Chen, The Stevenson Ranch Davidians, & Summer Darling @ The Echo
- The Pity Party, Chase Frank, & Mailk The Freq @ Echo Curio
- Pink Enemy, Royal Rumble, & All Neon Like @ Spaceland
- The Keith Walsh Experience, Kids of Whidney High, Bridged, & The Hard To Get @ Mr T's Bowl
- My Imaginary Friends, Whispertown 2000, & Man and The Motorcar @ The Silver Lake Lounge

DECISION:
We're helping promote The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra CD Release Event on Thursday night w/ Fol Chen, The Stevenson Ranch Davidians, and Summer Darling at The Echo.

Here are three reasons why you should come out: 1) the EP is really damn good, 2) the band has gotten really damn good live, and 3) you're not working the next day.



Also? Fol Chen...

Friday, July 4
- Castledoor @ The Scene
- Riot Grrrl Independence Day Carnival w/ Bruise Violet, The Pristines, Las Sangronas Y El Cabron, The Sirens, Motormouth Maybelles, Mermaid, Sasha And The Shamrocks, No Maam, All Neon Like, Clapsclap, Zombelle, Anus Kings, & Fallopian @ The Smell
- The Voyeurs, The Grizzly Owls, Terrapin, Seasons, & more @ Mr T's Bowl
- Club Underground Presnts Spindrift & Flash Express @ The Echo

DECISION:
Fuck the BBQ. Here's your best (and perhaps last) chance to see Castledoor play a small venue.

Saturday, July 5
- Smog Sessions @ The Echo
- The New Centuries, Master Slash Slave, & 11:11 @ Spaceland
- The Big Wham Bam Post 4th Pot Luck Party w/ The Wrecktangles, The Chump Change Gang, Firethorn, Carnage Asada, Swords of Fatima, Hell Surfers, & Unpopable @ Mr T's Bowl
- Husband and Wife, Birds With Clocks, & Brown and Blue @ Echo Curio
- Red Maids, Divsadero, & Doreon Wood @ Pehrspace
- Legendary Slack Shakers @ Spaceland
- Total Abuse, Realicide, Cellblock, & Bleachy Bleachy Bleach! @ The Smell
- Mospeada, The Health Club, Exitmusic, & The Miles Approach @ The Scene

DECISION:
If I was in town on Saturday, I'd be deciding between checking out the acts at Pehrspace and Spaceland.

Sunday, July 6
- Little Radio Summer Camp w/ TBA @ The Little Radio Downtown Warehouse
- Red Maids, Correatown, Monster, & One Trick Pony @ Mr T's Bowl
- Under The Influence of Giants @ Spaceland
- Grand Ol Echo pres: Screening of Legendary Shakers movie, Mike Stinson, Betty Dylan @ Echoplex
- Oh Halo, Tiny Graves, Rachel Sierra, Eagle Winged Palace, & He's My Brother She's My Sister @ Tangier

DECISION:
Day? Little Radio Summer Camp. Night? Mr T's Bowl or Tangier.

That's it. Did I miss anything? Please lemme know.

This Is What Your Weekend Should Ideally Look Like This Weekend...

Thailand's CD Release Event: The Aftermath

Last night was great fun at The Silver Lake Lounge as The Soft Hands, Good On Paper, and One Trick Pony helped local electric pop act Thailand celebrate the release of their new EP, The Remote Controller (now available on itunes, if you missed it).

It was a good and solid crowd, complete with members of Death To Anders, The Transmissions, Afternoons, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, and The Happy Hollows, as well as local music writers Mouse from Classical Geek Theatre, Kevin Bronson from The LA Times, and Brad from Feed Your Head Today.

Marc and Staci from Thailand asked me to DJ between acts, so I put together a mix mainly comprised of local artists, but with a smattering of 60s French pop and some other gems.

Here's the playlist, if you're at all curious:

The Spires - Grand Canyon Vacation
Leonard Cohen - Lover, Lover, Lover
BLOW - Jet Ski Accidents
Ariel Pink - Interesting Results
Jacques Dutronc - Le Responsible
Nightfur - (Track 3)
Princeton - Blackbeard
Micah P Hinson - The Leading Guy
Earlimart - Face Down in the Right Town
Citizens Here & Abroad - Stranger
The Devils Romantics - Birdsong
Division Day - Ricky (Tandemoro Remix)
Dog Day - Lydia
Electelane - To The East
Sugarplastic - Autumn All The Time
Sarah Negahdari - Driver
Tandemoro - Good Shit Happens Every Day
Tom Waits - Jockey Full of Bourbon
The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra - Audry (Love Keeps Moving)
The Movies - Missed Opportunities
The Bentleys - Ghosts Like Us
The Monolators - Strawberry Roan
Castledoor - The Birds and The Fleas
Francois Hardy - Le Temps de L'amour
The Explorers Club - Forever
Fred Thomas - Holland Tunnel
The Hidden Hooks - Girl, Don't You Get Buried
Earlimart - For the Birds
Le Switch - Pristine
The Happy Hollows - Monster Room
The Prix - St. Domino
The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra - Don't Be Fooled
Marvelous Toy - Jen, Did I Mean More to You?
Death To Anders - Camera Lens
The Parson Red Heads - Days of my Youth
Citizens Here & Abroad - You Drive and We'll Listen to Music
Jeniferever - You Only Move Twice
Signal Hill - Los Federales
The Savages - I Want To Be Evil
Earth Kitt - C'est Si Bon

Also? Don't forget this show tonight...

Video Free Silver Lake: Willoughby, Fleet Foxes, & The French Semester

Here are three videos from bands playing here in town over the next week... I kind of think I need to see them all.

The Monday Show Low Down (Or "When The Light Makes Your Hair Hurt...")

Last night, I acted out a cautionary tale about excessive alcohol consumption and paid a terrible, terrible price for it this morning. It's safe to say that when buying drinks so strong that one makes you drunk, you shouldn't have four. I guess we do end up using math in real life, after all...

Like Burroughs said, "Anyone who's never made mistakes -- and paid for his mistakes -- I trust him little in the commerce of the soul. No experience... Young thief, thinks he has a license to steal; young lawyer, never botched a case; young doctor, never killed a patient. They don't know the score..."

Ha. Leave it to a writer to over-dramatize having a hangover... Anyway, I added a linked listing of local music venues to the right-hand column to hopefully make up for the late post. Here's a look at the week in music here in LA.

Monday, June 23
- The French Semester, Shiloe, Avi Buffalo, & Codpiece @ Mr T's Bowl (FREE)
- Rumspringa, The Holloys, Union Line, & Danger Bees @ The Echo (FREE)
- Death Cab For Cutie & Rogue Wave @ The Nokia Theatre
- Sean Carnage Presents Smooth Grooves, Jamaica Man, Holi Buffaglow, Spellcaster, Anavan & Vampire Pussy @ Pehrspace
- Spider Problem, Automatic Music Explosion, & Big Stone City @ The Silver Lake Lounge (FREE)
- Indie 103.1 Presents...Check One Two Mondays w/ Idyllists, Gran Ronde, The Boxing Lesson, & The Poor Excuses @ The Viper Room
- Lukas Haas @ The Hotel Cafe
- Afternoons, The Parson Red Heads, Valentino & HT Heartache @ Spaceland (FREE)

DECISION:
Next Monday night, there's the really tough call between The French Semester with The Coral Sea versus Afternoons with The Movies and The Happy Hollows. Plan accordingly tonight based on your decision there.

Tuesday, June 24
- KXLU Presents Sunny Day Sets Fire, In Waves, Line and Circle & The Monolators @ Spaceland
- Ingrid Michaelson @ The El Rey
- The Braille Tapes, The Magazines, The Nightbirds, & Fascinoma @ Mr T's Bowl
- Bird Names, Lateral Hyetography, Wummin, & Naomi Elizabeth @ Echo Curio
- Josh Norton, The Monthlies, The Seasons, & Ragsy @ The Derby
- The Crash That Took Me, Pioneers!, Old Toy Trains, & Never At Night @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Mighty Six Nintey, Castaneda, & Kissing Tigers @ The Troubadour
- Hecuba, HAZM, Brendan Fowler, & Laco$ste @ The Echo (FREE)
- Stone Temple Pilots & Black Francis @ The Hollywood Bowl
- The Watson Twins @ Amoeba Music (7PM)

DECISION:
The Watson Twins introduce their new indie folk album Fire Songs for free at Amoeba Music at seven.

Wednesday, June 25
- Radio Free Silver Lake & The Fold Present: Thailand CD Release Event w/ The Soft Hands, Good On Paper & One Trick Pony @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Tom Petty & Steve Winwood @ The Hollywood Bowl
- Amos Lee @ Amoeba Music (7PM)
- CLUB NME w/ Oslo, The Undred Days, & Eject @ Spaceland
- Brightmillion, Kamikaze, Johnny Six Pack, & Auto-Erotix @ Mr T's Bowl
- Cryptacize, Becky Stark, & Palms @ The Echo
- T. I. @ The Wiltern
- Olin and The Moon & Mouse Kills Tiger @ Tangier
- Cavil at Rest, Saint Motel, & Astra Heights @ The Viper Room
- Abe Vigoda, Shed, Seahouse, Hey Buddy and The Pals, & Small Breed @ The Smell

DECISION:
RFSL is helping promote (and djing) the CD release event for Thailand's new EP on Wednesday night at The Silver Lake Lounge. You should come out. One Trick Pony (who are amazing), The Soft Hands (who are quite fun), and Good On Paper (who I haven't heard yet) are also playing.



Thursday, June 26
- Hell Ya! w/ The Movies, The Savages, Pizza!, & The Voyeurs @ The Echo
- Sam Phillips & The Section Quartet @ Largo
- Meiko @ The Hotel Cafe
- Club Flotsam w/ Mrs. Brown's Lovely Daughter, Out of Town, Skyline Electric, NIBIRU, Bellydancer Nocturra of Almase Arabesque @ Mr T's Bowl
- Respect @ Echoplex
- Oliver Future & The Gray Kid @ Spaceland
- No Love Letters & Rachel Cantu @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Red Dons, The Estranged, The Red Hearts, Ashtray Babies, & Rough Kids @ The Smell
- Everclear, Soul Asylum, & Camper Van Beethoven @ The House of Blues
- Obedient Waves, The Hour of the Shipwreck & Go Betty Go @ Bordello

DECISION:
I fucking love The Movies like nobody's business, The Savages are gallingly good, and I've been meaning to see Pizza! for awhile now. Should be a great night.

Friday, June 27
- Panic Movement, Mospeada, Million Kids, Sumo, & Removal @ Mr T's Bowl
- Squaregirls Present The Health Club, WEAVE!, Hearts of Palm UK, & Fol Chen @ Pehrspace
- Grand Archives & Sera Cahoone @ The Echo
- Removal, Panic Movement, Sumo, & Million Kids @ Mr T's Bowl
- Hot Hot Heat, The Shys, & The Deadly Syndrome @ The Roxy
- Juliette and The Licks @ The Viper Room
- Jon Brion @ Largo
- Nikki Costa @ The El Rey
- Dub Club Presents U-Roy, Pat Kelly, Stranger Cole, & Cornell Campbell @ The Echoplex
- The Autumns & Run Through The Desert @ Spaceland
- Mark Knoepfler & Jesca Hoop @ The Greek Theatre
- Dilated Peoples, Aceyalone, & The Alchemist @ House of Blues
- Mick Turner, Voice On Tape, VoicesVoices, & EXITMUSIC @ The Smell

DECISION:
The Deadly Syndrome are my favorite band playing on Friday. They're always great live. (Web In Front just called their night with The Airborne Toxic Event and The Henry Clay People last Tuesday their favorite show so far this year...)

Saturday, June 28
- Fleet Foxes, The Dutchess and The Duke, & Frankie Fairfield @ The Echo
- Sgt. Pepper's Revisited w/ Cheap Trick, Billy Corgan, & Ian Ball @ The Hollywood Bowl
- Kissing Cousins, Summer Darling, & Death House Chaplain @ Bordello
- KXLU Presents Panther, Plants and Animals, & more @ Spaceland
- Louis XIV @ The Viper Room
- Blue Mask w/ Backbiter, Motorcycle Black Madonnas, The Black Widows, & The Blessings @ Mr T's Bowl
- The 88, Satisfaction, & Derby @ The Roxy
- Mickey Avalon @ The Key Club
- Ralph's World @ Echoplex
- Club Suicide @ Echoplex
- Grant Lee Phillips @ Largo
- Cyndi Lauper, The B-52's, Andy Bell of Erasure, & more @ The Greek Theatre
- Camp Freddy w/ Louis XIV @ Wasted Space (FREE)
- Kit, High Castle, Yellow Crystal Star, Dickhearse, American Gil and The Major Dudes @ The Smell
- Louis XIV @ The Viper Room
- Suicide Girls @ Echoplex
- Jack Wilson Jr, Man Miracle, The Spires, & Frankel @ Pehrspace

DECISION:
Duke from You Set The Scene and several other friends like Fleet Foxes a hell of a lot, while I'm an enormous fan of sad/happy pop acts The Spires and Frankel who are, bonus, playing together.

Sunday, June 29
- Kickchella w/ Le Switch, The Henry Clay People, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, You Me and Iowa, Tandemoro, Les Blanks, I Make This Sound, Swim Party, The Hectors, & Marvelous Toy @ All-Star Lanes (5PM)
- Little Radio Summercamp w/ Chris Holmes, Daisy O'Dell, & £ady $inclair @ The Little Radio Downtown Warehouse
- Fleet Foxes & The Dutchess and The Duke @ Spaceland
- Willoughby & Graves @ Tangier
- Gene Loves Jezebel @ Safari Sam's
- Captain Ahab, Bryan Lewis Saunders, Warm Streams, Xrin Arms, Flaspar, I.E., & Holy Water @ The Smell
- Circles and Circles, The Nixes, The Bentleys, & Tremellow @ Mr T's Bowl
- Grand Ole Echo @ The Echo (early)
- Part Time Punks @ The Echo (late)
- Gilberto Gil, Devendra Banhart, & The Album Leaf featuring Mike Heron from Incredible String Band @ Hollywood Bowl

DECISION:
It's safe to say that I'm going to recommend going to Little Radio Summer Camp every weekend (now on Sundays) for the rest of the summer, regardless of who is playing.

I don't know any of the bands this time, but you'd be hard pressed to find a better time during the day b/c of the outdoor activities and what not.

And at night, there's an incredible line-up over at All-Star Lanes...



Also, the singerly Willoughby are at Tangier on Sunday night... I was struck (extra) dumb by their song Frankenstein earlier today. My mouth is still partially open.

That's it. Did I miss anything? Please lemme know.

Save The Date: Let's Independent! on Tuesday, July 15th at Boardner's of Hollywood

We're pleased to announce our next Let's Independent! event on Tuesday, July 15th at Boardner's of Hollywood with a line-up comprised of three darkly sweet pop acts... Who's playing the night? Watch the videos below to find out.







Then read all the details right here.

Reminder: Send In The Blogs...

There are a few shows being put on by local music sites over the next few days that you ought to check out...

Like tonight's event where LA-Underground and Classical Geek Theatre Present Rock With a Twist III w/ The Monolators, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, Jack Wilson Jr., Downtown/Union, and free pretzels at All-Star Lanes in Eagle Rock.



Or Rock Insider's Saturday evening at the BYOB-fabulous Pehrspace with Avi Buffalo, Make Me, and Hotbodies.



And Complicated Dance Steps' Landslide Art & Music Festival on Saturday and Sunday, which promises to be a little more Arthurfest-y. (Go see The Spires, if you can...)

Let's Independent!: The Aftermath

Many thanks to everyone who came, played, and helped promote our Let's Independent! event last night at Boardner's of Hollywood with The Parson Redheads, Buddy, and The Hidden Hooks.

I can't really write an impartial review of the show, but I can say it was fucking fun... One of the best nights we've had there.

We had a really nice crowd of folks in the attendance; the bands did fantastic performances and seemed like they all had a great time. Chris Johnston from The Hidden Hooks started the evening off with just him and his guitar and his voice, and a hush fell over everyone there. One of The Parson Redheads mentioned that they hadn't seen him play before and when I explained that it was his first show, he replied, "Really?!?" It was a solid debut. Haunting and heartfelt at the same time.

Co-headliners Buddy and The Parson Redheads also had people talking... After each played, I overheard people saying to each other, "Holy fucking shit!!" And what's also nice is that it seemed like their respective fans hadn't heard of the other act before, so there was some cross-pollination going on there.

I could go on and on, but long story relatively short, couldn't have been happier with it. We'll have details on next month's show soon.

Reminder: Let's Independent! w/ The Parson Redheads, Buddy, & The Hidden Hooks Tonight!

There are times when events feel more like parties than shows... When the music is good and ecstatic, the crowd is friendly and fun, and you're glad that you're not anywhere else at that moment right then. I've experienced that at Pehrspace and The Echo recently, and feel like it's due to happen again at tonight's Let's Independent! at Boardner's...

First off, the line-up is great: indie pop acts The Parson Redheads and Buddy nail it regularly separately, but together? Yow. And I'm really looking forward to seeing The Hidden Hooks' smarty pop debut.

It's $5, which means the folks from the restaurant who normally come out back to smoke and chatter won't be there, and the only people there are out for the show. Also, the Dewar's sponsorship means that all of the ticket price is going directly to the bands. (Again, a good way to support local music...) And there will be $3 Dewar's drinks available all night.

Let's Independent! starts tonight at nine, Boardner's is located at 1652 N Cherokee in Hollywood, and is 21+. For more info and to hear songs from all three acts, go right here.

Here are videos, MP3s, and links to interviews with the bands:

The Parson Redheads - "Brette and I are married (almost a year now), and Erin (our keyboard player) and I are brother and sister. But it FEELS like we are much more related than we actually are. Purely because we are so close as friends - so we really feel like a family."





DOWNLOAD:
- Punctual As Usual MP3
- Out To Sea MP3

Buddy - "I take our art seriously, but I guess I've never taken myself that seriously. A friend of mine told me once that she liked my 'cry-baby rock songs' and I thought it was funny and right on a level, so I guess 'wimpycore' kinda came from that joke."





DOWNLOADS:
- Westgate MP3
- No Heart MP3

The Hidden Hooks - "The first EP (bad master) was mostly made up of songs that were supposed to be more "polished." It didn't really come out like that. I really tried to really be careful with mic placement and all that but it didn't really work. With the second EP, I was more flippant on where the mics were and mostly just had the mics in one spot, and ironically, I'm more happy with the second EP.

DOWNLOAD:
- Girl, Don't You Get Buried MP3
- When The Silence Squeezes MP3

Rad poster by Christine Hale.

The Monday Show Low Down (Or "The Group Became Increasingly Intransigent and Fractious...")

All apologies for the late publish today. I spent the whole morning in a Santa Monica recording studio with some voice talent for the new game I’m working on. (I'm the story producer on this one and it's been a lot of fun so far.)

Now let’s take a look at this busy, busy week in local music...

Monday, June 16
- French Semester, The Procession, The Young Goodman Browns, & Manhattan Murder Mystery @ Mr T's Bowl (FREE)
- Indie 103.1 Presents...Check One Two Mondays w/ Xu Xu Fang CD Release Party, Idyllists, The Human Value, & Sagittarians @ The Viper Room
- Afternoons, Everest, Ravens and Chimes, & Oh Darling @ Spaceland (FREE)
- Sarah Silverman @ Largo
- Spider Problem, Dalmacio Von Diamond and The Imaginary Friends, The Voyeurs, & Jesus Makes The Shotgun Sound @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Abe Vigoda, Times New Viking, Psychedelic Horseshit, Fabulous Diamonds, & Bipolar Bear @ The Smell
- Deepsea Goes, Solarwimp, & Husband and Wife @ Echo Curio
- Sean Carnage Presents New No Age, American Gil & the Major Dudes, John Thill, & Jamaica Man @ Pehrspace
- Lukas Haas @ Hotel Cafe
- Rumspringa, Halloween Swim Team, Random Patterns, & Golden Animals @ The Echo (FREE)

DECISION:
Tonight’s show at Spaceland with Afternoons and Everest should be quite excellent, as should French Semester with Manhattan Murder Mystery at Mr T’s Bowl. But Xu Xu Fang’s release party for their long-awaited cd at The Viper Room may be so good that the world blinks out of existence for a minute or two.

Tuesday, June 17
- Radio Free Silver Lake presents Let's Independent! w/ Buddy, The Parson Redheads, & The Hidden Hooks @ Boardner's of Hollywood
- Citizen Fish & Introspect @ The Echo
- Hyper Crush @ The Troubadour
- Islands @ The El Rey
- The New Bloods, Hornet Leg, & PROTECT ME @ The Smell
- Effects of Cable Television, Miniature Tigers, & Austin James Band @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- The Airborne Toxic Event, The Deadly Syndrome, & The Henry Clay People @ Spaceland

DECISION:
Our Let’s Independent! event at Boardner’s of Hollywood promises to delight with co-headliners Buddy and The Parson Redheads, along with opener The Hidden Hooks. Seriously. It promises to delight. (Go right here for details and free MP3s.)



Another super strong line-up for the evening -- The Airborne Toxic Event, The Deadly Syndrome, and The Henry Clay People at Spaceland – has sold out its advance tickets, though 100 will be available at the door.

Wednesday, June 18
- Dub Club presents Extra Golden, David Rodigan, & African @ Echoplex
- Rilo Kiley, Lavender Diamond, & Benji Hughes @ The Greek
- Your Highness Electric, Dead Sara, & Terrapin @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Match Castashadow, Fascinoma, & Saudade @ Echo Curio
- Fink Jaymay & Pop Levi @ The Troubadour
- Champions of Melancholy, Totally Serious, These Orphaned Eyes, & The Friendly Skies @ Mr T's Bowl
- Joel Virgil, Oh Darling, Olin and the Moon, & Eleni Mandell @ Tangier
- Indie 103 presents Club NME w/ Midnight Movies & Mono in VFC @ Spaceland
- The Secret Machines @ The Viper Room

DECISION:
Last time I saw Midnight Movies, I really enjoyed them. And I love Lavender Diamond...

Thursday, June 19
- Yes Me To Death, Kissing Cousins, & Useless Keys @ Spaceland
- The Eagle Rock Bowling & Drinking Club Presents Rock With A Twist w/ The Monolators, You Me & Ioa, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, & Downtown/Union @ All-Star Lanes
- Martha Wainwright & Jesca Hoop @ The Troubadour
- Moving Picture Show, Tra Lala, & Calico Horse @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Sea Wolf, Patrick Park, & The Jealous Girlfriends @ Echoplex
- Burlesque A Go Go @ Mr T's Bowl
- Lesbians, Lloyd and Michael, & Frisco Dykes @ The Smell
- Earth, Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter, & Restaurant @ The Echo
- Dickie Haydon, Amps on Ten, Wreckmeister Harmonies, & Dazzling Half Nelson @ Echo Curio
- Meiko @ The Hotel Café
- Nico Vega @ The Viper Room
- Moving Picture Show & Tra Lala @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Obedient Waves & Go Betty Go @ Bordello

DECISION:
Lots of good stuff going on Thursday night. The most obvious being The Eagle Rock Bowling & Drinking Club Presents Rock With A Twist w/ The Monolators, You Me & Iowa, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, and Downtown/Union at All-Star Lanes and Sea Wolf, Patrick Park, and The Jealous Girlfriends at Echoplex.

But I’m kind of curious about the show at Spaceland… It’s the first show by Yes Me To Death in at least a year and the first performance by Useless Keys, a band comprised of folks from The Green and Yellow TV, Molecules, The Front, and more.

Friday, June 20
- Wolf Eyes, John Wiese, & Damon Romero @ Spaceland
- Irregular Wine Tasting @ Echoplex
- Hayden @ The Troubadour
- Adeline and the Philistines, Paperplanes, & Hello Dragon @ The Scene
- Jon Brion @ Largo at Coronet
- Rats, The Friendly Skies, Animals on Coke, David Scott Stone, Paper Rainbow, & Apathetic Ronald McDonald @ The Smell
- Smells Like Flan, Mooey Moobau, Dorian Wood, & The Cobra Lilies @ Pehrspace
- Underwater City People, Power Cords, Silver Needle, The Shortcuts, UCP, & Pussy Cow @ Mr T's Bowl
- Nous Non Plus, Casxio, & Tour De France @ Bordello
- Tleilaxu Music Machine, Raidcal Posture, Winners, & U'R In @ Echo Curio

DECISION:
There are a lot of acts I haven’t seen before on Friday night. Anyone have any recommendations?

Saturday, June 21
- KCRW Presents The Pasadena Music Fest w/ The Raveonettes, Kinky, Dengue Fever, The Little Ones, Everest, Jesca Hoop, Division Day, Nortec Collective, The Plasticines and more
- Little Radio Summer Camp w/ No Age & tba @ The Little Radio Warehouse Downtown
- Rock Insider Presents Avi Buffalo, Make Me, & The Hotbodies @ Pehrspace
- The Coathangers @ The Smell
- The Vacation @ The Viper Room
- nightshift @ Mr T's Bowl
- Hang the DJs @ The Echo
- Lightspeed Champion & The Explorers Club @ The Troubadour
- She Wants Revenge @ The Wiltern
- The Blakes, Broken West, & Dead Confederate @ Spaceland
- Mudular Records Presents These New Puritans, Meho Plaza, & Young Punx @ Echoplex
- Seasons, Rademacher, The Hectors, & Karabal Nightlife @ Echo Curio
- No Little Kindness, Farflung, Tweak Bird, Oscillator, & Anna Oxygen and David Scott Sloane @ Landslide! Festival
- The Lights From Here @ The Tinlark Gallery (FREE)

DECISION:
There are too many frigging good shows to go to on Saturday…

Little Radio Summer Camp is earlier in the day, followed by the first day of the Landslide Art & Music Festival at 4pm. Then at night there’s Rock Insider’s night at Pehrspace; Rademacher, The Hectors, and The Karabal Nightlife over at Echo Curio; and The Pasadena Music Fest with Everest, The Little Ones, Division Day, and more.

Fuck!

Sunday, June 22
- Native Fauna, Landie, Weave!, The Spires, & Supercreep @ Landslide! Festival
- Adam Lipman, Refrigerator, Emily Lacy & Deepakalypse @ Echo Curio
- Grand Hallway, Cosio, & Nevenka @ Tangier
- Babies & BARR @ The Smell
- Grand Ole Echo w/ The Black Tongued Bells, Triple Chicken Foot, & Madame Pamita @ The Echo
- Thievery Corporation, Seu Jorge, Bebel Gilberto, & Los Amigos Invisibles @ The Hollywood Bowl
- Part Time Punks @ The Echo
- Frightened Rabbit, Oxford Collapse, & Sunny Day Sets Fire @ The Roxy
- Fiction Family, Nick Thune, Sean and Sara Watkins, & Roger Moon @ Spaceland
- Fay Wrays, Rademacher, The Transmissions, & The Natural Disasters @ Mr T's Bowl

DECISION:
Day two of the Landslide Art & Music Festival sounds pretty good (I love The Spires and my friend George, who has way better taste in music than me, is putting it on), while Rademacher, The Transmissions, and more entertain over at Mr T’s Bowl.

That’s it. Did I miss anything? Please lemme know.

Photo by George Tapia.

Interview: The Hidden Hooks

Take a moment to click here to listen to or download a few songs by The Hidden Hooks. They’re a local indie pop act who are just getting started and are well worth checking out. Okay, so go do that, then come right back…

[Taps fingers on desk...]

You done? It’s good stuff with lots of heart, eh? You can see why we booked them to open up at our Let’s Independent! event at Boardner’s of Hollywood next Tuesday night with co-headliners Buddy and The Parson Redheads.

We caught up with The Hidden Hooks’ Chris Johnson earlier this week over IM to find out more about them.

ChrisHH (4:37:53 PM): Hey, it's Chris from The Hidden Hooks!
RFSL (4:41:15 PM): Hey, Chris.
RFSL (4:41:17 PM): How's it going?
ChrisHH (4:41:51 PM): Pretty good... At work still.
RFSL (4:42:49 PM): What's your day job?
ChrisHH (4:43:28 PM): I work at a high school library in Anaheim. I'm an assistant librarian, I guess?
RFSL (4:43:52 PM): Excellent. Fiction or non-fiction? Or the whole deal?
ChrisHH (4:44:40 PM): Everything. Although unfortunately most of our readers are low level, so no one's really checking out Sartre.
ChrisHH (4:45:52 PM): I mostly do office work, but I usually recommend RL Stine.
RFSL (4:46:39 PM): How long you been in California?
ChrisHH (4:47:42 PM): My whole life :) Lived in Norwalk/La Mirada as a child and uh adult and now just moved to Los Feliz.
RFSL (4:48:08 PM): Ah, so there actually are natives here! That's good to know.
ChrisHH (4:48:23 PM): Haha. Yeah, most people I meet from LA aren't really from LA...
RFSL (4:48:32 PM): How long have you been making music? You had a band before The Hidden Hooks?
ChrisHH (4:50:25 PM): I've been making music for about ten years. I've been in a lot of little bands, punk bands and side projects, but nothing really serious... I was in The Gold Bugs, a side project of mine, but i have a million side projects. Now, in the past, always...
RFSL (4:51:21 PM): How did you start working on The Hidden Hooks?
ChrisHH (4:53:31 PM): Well, I decided to play music "for serious." I bought a bunch of new equipment, new computer, acoustically treated a room at my parents’ house, and just started recording. It was either spend money on a "studio", or buy a motorcycle, My family was against the motorcycle idea.
RFSL (4:54:16 PM): It's always good to submit "or a motorcycle" as an option to the folks. It helps push anything you want through.
ChrisHH (4:54:35 PM): lol. Yeah, I still might get one someday.
RFSL (4:54:56 PM): So, how long ago was that? Did you already have a few songs worked out?
ChrisHH (4:57:45 PM): That was little over a year ago. I had the whole month of July off from my day job, so I used that month to work on the studio and the songs. I had some older ideas i worked on, and some new ones, too. I almost never have complete ideas, most songs are built as I play them over and over and over and…
ChrisHH (4:58:09 PM): over.
RFSL (4:58:25 PM): When did you record the EPs?
ChrisHH (4:59:37 PM): Around that time. So about August/November. Both EPs have songs from the entire time period, if that makes any sense.
RFSL (4:59:55 PM): You did everything yourself?
ChrisHH (5:00:14 PM): Yeah.
RFSL (5:00:34 PM): Why two EPs instead of an album?
RFSL (5:01:03 PM): Cold War Kids did that, too. Released two EPs concurrently.
ChrisHH (5:04:18 PM): I guess the songs didn't really flow well as an album.
RFSL (5:05:33 PM): Ah, got it.
ChrisHH (5:04:51 PM): The first EP (bad master) was mostly made up of songs that were supposed to be more "polished." It didn't really come out like that. I really tried to really be careful with mic placement and all that but it didn't really work. With the second EP, I was more flippant on where the mics were and mostly just had the mics in one spot, and ironically, I'm more happy with the second EP.
RFSL (5:06:05 PM): How have the EPs been received online?
ChrisHH (5:07:22 PM): Okay. I was kinda surprised on how many sold, but I can safely say I'm not going to be breaking any charts anytime soon.
RFSL (5:09:23 PM): That's great. I mean, to put it out there without playing out yet or any manager to email folks.
ChrisHH (5:11:15 PM): Yeah, thanks. I think the internet is pretty cool in that regard, although one still needs to play a lot of shows and continue the cycle.
RFSL (5:12:35 PM): Cool. I've been wanting to see you live for months now, so I'm glad to have you play our show.
ChrisHH (5:14:15 PM): Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it. I can't wait to see both Buddy and The Parson Redheads, too. It sounds exciting!
RFSL (5:14:39 PM): What's next for you after that?
ChrisHH (5:16:35 PM): I'm not sure to be honest. I'll have July to either book more shows or go back and record a whole bunch of ideas. I haven't been writing as much as I'd like due to a bunch of life-stuff, but I don't know. It's all kinda up in the air. And that's cool.
RFSL (5:14:39 PM): Oh, I should’ve asked this earlier… What’s the name of the band from?
ChrisHH (5:21:12 PM): Hrmm, the name... Well, it doesn't really mean anything deep, just the goal to make music and hooks that are subtle and that don't beat you over the head, although most times, for me its hard to do.
RFSL (5:21:54 PM): Cool. I figured it was something like that.
ChrisHH (5:22:17 PM): I can be pretty literal and boring sometimes.
RFSL (5:22:25 PM): Ha, ha.
RFSL (5:22:29 PM): What bands made you want to make music?
ChrisHH (5:26:15 PM): Oh, this is a good one… (Rolls out a list from coat pocket.) Steely Dan is probably #1. Elliott Smith, Wilco and The Microphones tied for #2 and for #3, not really a band but Nobu Uematsu, the Final Fantasy composer. (The video games for you non-nerds out there). Those are the bands I go to when I'm in need. and if I start to sound like them I throw it away and start again.
RFSL (5:27:56 PM): Cool. Last question!
RFSL (5:28:05 PM): What are you listening to these days?
ChrisHH (5:31:31 PM): I'm re-listening to some older stuff, like The Soft Bulletin from The Flaming Lips and some Ryan Adams. The last music I bought was Crowded House's latest CD. I forget the name, but it's really good. I get pretty superstitious about listening to new stuff, like it’s going to influence me too much, that I'll be too modern, but I'm like that.
RFSL (5:32:43 PM): Heh.
RFSL (5:32:56 PM): Well, that's all I've got for you, Chris.
RFSL (5:33:06 PM): Thanks very much for all your time.
ChrisHH (5:33:37 PM): Yeah. Thanks, Joe, It’s been fun!

DOWNLOAD:
- Girl, Don't You Get Buried MP3
- When The Silence Squeezes MP3

Photographer Profile: Kip Terry

Our irregular series of articles on LA music photographers continues with Kip Terry, who has taken shots of such local acts as The Airborne Toxic Event, The Movies and, The Western States Motel.

We caught up with him recently for quick round of Q & A.



How did you start taking photos? And doing music photography?

I'd taken snapshots since I was a kid, but strangely became passionate about it after identifying with an Ansel Adams quote I read about two years ago. In the quote he said he knew he'd fallen in love with photography once he'd found he could show the beauty in a simple rock. This coincided with me believing beauty is in everything, and through photos I'm able to relate this. Ironically, I'd spent years working with photos at film studios and a record label, but didn't get into photography until reading that article.

The source of my interest in music photography comes from the many albums my parents had while I was growing up. I was fascinated by them and loved how they all told a story and set a theme for the collection of songs. Much later I began shooting a friend's band during rehearsals, then their live shows.




What do you like about it most?

I love having a part in a band's image. Photographs are such key components to marketing, promotion and publicity for bands and keep the fans up to date with a current image. There's nothing better than reading fans' raving photo comments online or hearing them in person at shows. They're really excited by them.



What was the best time you ever had shooting a band or show?

The best time I had was taking photos at a friend's band's first performance at the Knitting Factory. The venue was filled with screaming MySpace fans, friends and family. Both the band and the fans couldn't be more anxious. There wasn't much room at all near the stage. I had to be quite creative with respectfully stepping over fans trying to get a good shot.

Where can people find your work?

Right here.

All photography by Kip Terry.

Reminder: Helio Sequence, Wait Think Fast, & Talkdemonic on Thursday

We have three more pairs of tickets for Thursday night's show with Helio Sequence, Wait Think Fast, and Talkdemonic. Just message us here with your full name if you're 21+ and haven't won anything from us in the last sixty days to be entered in the drawing.

If you haven't seen Portland space pop duo Helio Sequence live before, you, well, just really fucking should. And locals Wait Think Fast are dreamy and poppy and good. (I don't know Talkdemonic at all, but their name reminds me of the 80s horror flick Evilspeak w/ Ron Howard's brother...)

Let's Independent! w/ Buddy, The Parson Redheads, & The Hidden Hooks

It's just a week away from our next Let's Independent! event at Boardner's of Hollywood on Tuesday, June 17th and this one is looking to be a real doozy. (Geesh. Who still talks like that? Annie Hall?)

Smart pop act Buddy (who both Hotel Cafe and Spaceland regulars can agree is great) and folk pop group The Parson Redheads (who just released a new EP) are co-headlining, plus we're introducing a new indie pop band called The Hidden Hooks, who have been wooing folks online for months between myspace and their self-released EPs.

It's true that this time the show won't be free because of our new deal with the venue, but Dewar's is sponsoring the night, allowing us to keep the cost to $5 and pass the entirety of the door proceeds straight to the bands. So it's a pretty direct way to help support local music.

There will be $3 Dewar's drinks there all night, it starts at 9PM, and it's 21+.

For more info about the show, go right here. And here are a few MP3s to help get you in the mood... Some great tracks from Buddy, The Parson Redheads, and The Hidden Hooks.

DOWNLOAD:
- Buddy's Westgate MP3
- The Parson Redheads' Punctual As Usual MP3
- The Hidden Hooks' Girl Don't You Get Buried MP3

Poster by Christine Hale.

The Monday Show Low Down (Or "It Became Hard to Tell The Philosophers And Sociopaths Apart...")

Have you been paying attention to the line-up announcements for Sunset Junction this year? It's looking pretty great so far, what with local acts like Radars To The Sky, The Happy Hollows, The Henry Clay People, Castledoor, Bodies of Water, and the Beachwood Sparks reunion, along with talented out-of-towners like The Black Keys and Broken Social Scene. Watch this space for more.

Monday, June 9
- Afternoons, The Western States Motel, Willoughby, & White Hinterland @ Spaceland (FREE)
- Rumspringa, My Pet Saddle, The Franks, & What Laura Says @ The Echo (FREE)
- The French Semester, The Sea of Cortez, Tropical Depression, & Mospeada @ Mr T's Bowl
- Spider Problem, Artichoke, & The Nightbirds @ The Silver Lake Lounge (FREE)
- Augustana @ The Troubadour
- Sean Carnage Presents Red Hot Thilly Peppers 360, Tik///tik, I.E., & Whitman @ Pehrspace
- James Fella, Bri White, French Quarter, Sleepwalkers Local, & Kevin Shields @ Echo Curio
- Indie 103.1's Check One... Two w/ Shiloe, Aushua, & Pop Noir @ The Viper Room

DECISION:
The free Monday night residencies this month are so interesting and varied that I want to try to catch each one... Afternoons at Spaceland, The French Semester at Mr T's Bowl, Spider Problem at The Silver Lake Lounge, and Rumpspringa at The Echo.

This week, I mean to go see Afternoons because I want to check out Willoughby. The Western States Motel are also playing material off their new EP, which is quite smart.



Tuesday, June 10
- Priscilla Ahn CD Release Event @ Hotel Cafe
- Augustana @ The Troubadour
- Billy Bragg @ The El Rey
- Desert Diamonds, Dirty Kings, Sangre Sangre, & Audra Mae @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Aimee Mann @ Largo
- T-Bowl Tuesday @ Mr T's Bowl
- Jeremy Enigk, Damien Jurado, & Happy Stars @ Spaceland

DECISION:
I don't really know what to go out to see on Tuesday night, but feel the need to ask how is it that Aimee Mann is hotter in her forties than when Til Tuesday was around?

Wednesday, June 11
- Indie 103 presents CLUB NME w/ Oslo @ Spaceland
- Justin Curie @ Largo
- Singer, Bipolar Bear, & Hellen @ The Smell
- Daniel Ahearn & Correatown @ The Echo
- Heloise & The Savoir Faire @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Elizabethan Report, Henry Bermudez Trio, & The Other Side of Morning @ Mr T's Bowl
- Dub Club featuring Wailing Souls @ Echoplex
- Light FM, Saint Motel, The Cheat, & United By Sound @ The Viper Room
- Princeton, Young Hunting, Olin and the Moon, & Eleni Mandell (acoustic) @ Tangier

DECISION:
If you went to see either indie pop perfectionists Light FM, 60s pop-ish Princeton, or singer/songwritery Correatown, you'd probably be pretty happy on Wednesday night.

Thursday, June 12
- Helio Sequence, Talkdemonic, & Wait Think Fast @ Echoplex
- Nathan Payne, Paperplanes, Codpiece, & Fast Dragon @ Mr T's Bowl
- Scissors for Lefty @ The Knitting Factory
- Nellie McKay @ Largo
- Fantastic Magic, David Scott Stone, Hecuba, & Voices on Tape @ Echo Curio
- John Webster Johns, Native Fauna, & Zendo @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Lucky Dragons, Late Night Date Night, PST, & Rale @ The Smell
- Dax Riggs, The Builders and the Butchers, & John Barrett’s Bass Drum of Death @ Spaceland
- Not Exactly the Pixies Tribute Benefit Show for the Downtown Women's Center @ The Echo
- The Detroit Cobras @ The Troubadour
- Meiko & Astra Heights @ Hotel Cafe
- RESPECT featuring Teebee, Noface, Machette, MC XYZ @ Echoplex
- Obedient Waves & Go Betty Go @ Bordello

DECISION:
We're giving away a few pairs of tickets for Thursday night's show with Portland space pop duo Helio Sequence and local dream pop act Wait Think Fast, who have a new EP coming soon that they recorded with Aaron Espinoza from Earlimart.

Just write us right here with your full name to be entered to win. (Must be 21+ and have not won anything from us in the last sixty days.)

Friday, June 13
- Hour of the Shipwreck & Faun Fables @ The Knitting Factory
- The Ting Tings @ The Troubadour
- Purple Rhinestone Eagle, Chubby Behemoth, & Naughty Bird @ The Smell
- Jon Brion @ Largo
- Crystal Castles @ The Roxy
- Howardamb, Extra, Bobb Bruno, Missincinatti, & Uh! @ Echo Curio
- Ralpheene, Vise Virsa, The Sundowners, Service Group, & The Humming Stuff @ Mr T's Bowl
- L.A. Underground presents: Drew Danburry, Forest World, & Vaudeville @ Pehrspace
- Club Underground Presents The Submarines @ The Echo
- Pizza! & AM @ L'Keg

DECISION:
Anyone have any recommendations for Friday night?

Saturday, June 14
- West Indian Girl & eagle winged palace @ The Scene
- The Panic Movement, Shiloe, Die Rockers Die, & The Health Club @ The Tribal Cafe
- Dirty Sweet & The Binges @ Spaceland
- Greg Proops Chat @ Largo
- Swanwelder, Warm Climate, & Fantastic Ego @ Echo Curio
- Earthless, Ancestors, & Tweak Bird @ The Smell
- Box Elders, Aliens, Wounded Lion, & The Animalystics @ Mr T's Bowl
- Mad Caddies @ The Troubadour
- Symmetrics (Christine Hale photography & live performance) @ Pehrspace
- The Rhone Occupation @ Tangier

DECISION:
The line-up at The Tribal Cafe is good and loud, while over at Pehrspace, Christine Hale (who creates our strange and wonderful cartoon dog posters for Let's Independent!) is putting on an event that combines music and photography.

Also, during the day? Little Radio Summer Camp is back.

Sunday, June 15
- 88.9 KXLU welcomes: Dosh & Anathallo @ Spaceland
- Russian Circles @ The Troubadour
- Dudley Saunder, Carla Werner, The Great White Jenkins, & Rich Ferguson @ Echo Curio
- Travisaurus, Ben Pringle, TGB, & Baby Champ @ Mr T's Bowl
- Part Time Punks w/ Times New Viking, Psychedelic Horseshit, & Fabulous Diamonds @ The Echo

DECISION:
No Bowling & Drinking Club or Little Radio Summer Camp on Sunday? I got nothing...

That's it. Did I miss anything? Please lemme know.

Interview: The Sweet Hurt

Between Rock Insider, You Set The Scene, Web In Front, and Classical Geek Theatre, The Sweet Hurt have gotten an awful lot of attention from LA music sites this last week.

There's a reason you've been reading so much about the haunty chamber pop group -- who have an EP release event this Saturday night at Pehrspace with Evan Slamka, Liz Pappademas, and Alex Lily from Colorforms.

And that reason is because they're really rather good...



We spoke to The Sweet Hurt's progenitor Wendy Wang earlier this week over IM to talk about the band's origins, the new EP, release event, and much more.

sweethurt (9:12:06 PM): Hey, Joe. It’s Wendy
RFSL (9:12:17 PM): Hey!
sweethurt (9:12:40 PM): How are you?
RFSL (9:12:58 PM): I'm doing pretty well. Just got home from work. You?
sweethurt (9:13:37 PM): I’m still at the studio, but I got an early break
sweethurt (9:13:53 PM): They asked me to stay later, so I’m just gonna kick it and do the interview here
RFSL (9:14:18 PM): Ah, you work at a studio?
sweethurt (9:14:50 PM): Yeah, I work at Red Rockets Glare. It's Raymond Richards’ studio
RFSL (9:15:16 PM): Oh, cool. Where is that at?
RFSL (9:15:52 PM): What do you do there?
sweethurt (9:18:58 PM): It's in Rancho Park, just off the national exit from the 10 freeway.
sweethurt (9:19:12 PM): I engineer and sometimes produce here (if asked).
sweethurt (9:20:25 PM): I recorded my past two records here, too.
RFSL (9:20:30 PM): Excellent. What are you working on now?
sweethurt (9:21:41 PM): We're working with this Seattle-based website called groupee.com. they're gathering content in the form of live band performances at the studio. Once they have that set, they're relaunching their site.
RFSL (9:22:09 PM): Nice. Who are you recording?
sweethurt (9:22:25 PM): I just recorded Let's Go Sailing. Calamity Magnet is next.
sweethurt (9:22:36 PM): Correatown and The Sweet Hurt are tomorrow.
RFSL (9:23:24 PM): Nice. Sounds like fun work.
sweethurt (9:23:36 PM): It totally is.
RFSL (9:24:40 PM): So when did you start making music?
sweethurt (9:26:00 PM): I started playing piano when I was 5. I wrote my first song when I was 13
RFSL (9:26:38 PM): When was your first band?
sweethurt (9:28:31 PM): I played in the school band when I was ten and the first cover band was when I was in the church band at age thirteen and then my first band with kids at school was when I was fourteen.
RFSL (9:28:49 PM): When did you start The Sweet Hurt?
sweethurt (9:30:06 PM): At the end of 2003. I had been writing songs and recording them with midi. I got a show and decided to ask people to play with me.
RFSL (9:31:33 PM): How did that lead to your first EP?
sweethurt (9:33:38 PM): the first official recording I put out was an acoustic EP and it came about cause the band fell apart and I felt really discouraged
RFSL (9:34:25 PM): And you recorded that at Red Rockets Glare?
sweethurt (9:34:29 PM): I decided to record the songs that I had with just a guitar and vocal. I did add another song that was a drum machine driven song, but that's what happened.
sweethurt (9:34:46 PM): The acoustic EP was done at my house and a friend's house. This was pre-RRG.
RFSL (9:35:15 PM): Ahhhh. What came next?
sweethurt (9:37:04 PM): So I kept writing on my own and getting better at recording home demos. Then The Monolators and another friend recommended that I record with Raymond at RRG. So I booked 3 days with him and recorded Everyday Mistakes. It was the most polished-sounding thing I'd done.
sweethurt (9:40:55 PM): I learned a lot from that recording process. It was inspiring. Raymond really encouraged me to keep doing the music thing, so I recorded another batch of songs at the studio and that's how the new EP came about
RFSL (9:41:30 PM): Did he produce the EP?
sweethurt (9:42:31 PM): He produced Everyday Mistakes with me and he produced one of the songs on the new EP.
RFSL (9:42:59 PM): And you produced the rest?
sweethurt (9:43:08 PM): So here it comes....
sweethurt (9:43:37 PM): Dan Long produced a track, Evan Slamka of Marjorie produced one with me, then the track with Raymond, and I did 2 on my own.
RFSL (9:44:59 PM): Marjorie Fair?
sweethurt (9:45:24 PM): Haha. Yeah, Marjorie Fair.
sweethurt (9:45:27 PM): Wow, I’m slow right now.
RFSL (9:46:04 PM): It's okay. Tuesday is the second longest day of the week.
sweethurt (9:46:13 PM): haha!
RFSL (9:47:10 PM): So you've got the cd release party on Saturday night at Pehrspace.
sweethurt (9:49:13 PM): Yes! It's a great lineup. Evan's actually gonna play a set. Liz Pappademas follows him. We're on third. I did a music video a while back but never had an opportunity to show it, so we're premiering that. Then Alex Lilly of Colorforms is going to play a somewhat solo set.
RFSL (9:50:09 PM): That is a great line-up. Looking forward to it.
sweethurt (9:50:31 PM): Cool! Thanks. I am, too.
RFSL (9:50:32 PM): I've been kind of loving going to Pehrspace lately.
sweethurt (9:50:44 PM): Oh, yeah? How come?
sweethurt (9:50:52 PM): I mean, I love that place too
RFSL (9:51:01 PM): I dunno. I just keep running into some of my favorite people in town there.
RFSL (9:51:13 PM): It's got a great community feel to it.
RFSL (9:52:14 PM): And I keep seeing great shows, like One Trick Pony, Sarah Negahdari, Rademacher, Tigers Can Bite You, and so on...
RFSL (9:52:20 PM): You know?
sweethurt (9:52:55 PM): Totally. It attracts people we like
sweethurt (9:53:18 PM): The first time I saw One Trick Pony was at Pehrspace. They blew me away. They sound great in that room, too.
RFSL (9:53:49 PM): Yeah, when I went last week to see them play, the place was completely packed and everyone was completely quiet in rapt attention.
RFSL (9:55:53 PM): So what's next for you?
sweethurt (9:58:47 PM): I'm hoping people will hear some of these new tunes. I would like to produce more. I've just started collaborating with other musicians and I want to do that more.
sweethurt (9:59:12 PM): Like writing and producing. And of course playing.
RFSL (9:59:11 PM): Yeah, you play in a few local bands, right?
sweethurt (10:00:06 PM): Yeah, I play in Correatown and HoneyHoney. I sit in with some bands every now and then.
sweethurt (10:01:02 PM): Like, I used to play with Let's Go Sailing more consistently and I've sung with I Make This Sound and played some keys with The Henry Clay People.
sweethurt (10:01:18 PM): It's really fun!
RFSL (10:01:38 PM): I bet. Some great bands there.
sweethurt (10:01:46 PM): Jonathan from IMTS is gonna play keys with me at the EP release show.
RFSL (10:01:53 PM): Any plans to tour?
sweethurt (10:03:05 PM): No, not in the near future. If a larger band asked me to open for them, I'd probably do it, but I don't have anything lined up outside of LA.
RFSL (10:03:37 PM): It's funny how there are so many local venues that bands don't have to tour here to play around a bit.
sweethurt (10:03:41 PM): I mean, if I was lucky enough for anyone asked me to open for them.
RFSL (10:03:52 PM): Like Long Beach is a road trip.
sweethurt (10:05:00 PM): Yeah, huh? Never really thought about that. We're spoiled.
RFSL (10:05:21 PM): Yeah... It's nice.
sweethurt (10:05:48 PM): I live in the South Bay. There are no indie/rock/singer-songwriter venues around
sweethurt (10:07:01 PM): Well there's this new venue in Hermosa Beach that's starting to book bands. It's like a taste of what it's like to live on the east side where music venues are walking distance from home.
RFSL (10:07:33 PM): I used to live in-between The Echo, Spaceland, and The Silver Lake Lounge...
RFSL (10:07:42 PM): Was totally spoiled. Could walk to all three.
RFSL (10:08:25 PM): Maybe it will start to extend south more!
sweethurt (10:09:22 PM): Yes, please!
RFSL (10:09:38 PM): Who drew the cover to your new EP?
sweethurt (10:10:27 PM): My longtime friend, Josh Cochran, is a really amazing illustrator. He did the artwork. The two pieces on the CD are the inspiration for the EP's title
RFSL (10:11:16 PM): Nice.
RFSL (10:11:24 PM): It's a great piece.
sweethurt (10:11:38 PM): Glad you like it. I think they are beautiful. He was generous in letting me use those as the CD cover.
RFSL (10:12:43 PM): So, what are you listening to these days?
sweethurt (10:13:21 PM): Let's see I just got a Willie Nelson album, it's called Love Songs, Wilco, The Daktaris, The Meters, and a lot of local artists like Colorforms, Willoughby, Bram, The Monolators, Benji Hughes, Liz Pappademas.
sweethurt (10:15:28 PM): Priscilla Ahn… She's going to sing a couple songs with me on Saturday. We wrote two songs together a bit ago and it'll be their debut
sweethurt (10:17:12 PM): Oh and Jillinda of IMTS made me a CD of songs by 60s girl groups. I've been listening to that too. It's totally rad.
RFSL (10:18:43 PM): Oh, cool. That sounds great. I don't know really much of that era.
sweethurt (10:19:13 PM): I’ll make you a copy!
RFSL (10:19:16 PM): I really don't know anything about music, basically.
RFSL (10:19:21 PM): Cool. So, last question…
RFSL (10:19:39 PM): Where would you go, if you could go anywhere?
sweethurt (10:20:09 PM): Nice! I'd take my bike to France and ride to an ice cream and/or crepe stand then keep riding my bike to a concert in the park with my beloved. Haha.
RFSL (10:20:30 PM): Well, thanks for all of your time! It was really good talking with you.
sweethurt (10:20:55 PM): Thank YOU.
RFSL (10:21:00 PM): See you on Saturday night.
sweethurt (10:21:07 PM): For sure. See ya then.

DOWNLOAD:
- Where Would You Go? MP3