Interview: ISGOOD's Jon Hershfield

Few people in town, if any, seem to keep up with the local music scene better than Jon Hershfield, host of Kill Radio's "...Is Good" show.

In it, Hershfield spotlights independent LA acts who he thinks, well, are good -- including site favorites like Le Switch, The Monolators, The Happy Hollows, Radars to the Sky and many more.

Hundreds more, in fact...

We spoke with Hershfield earlier this week about his origins, his upcoming projects and shows, the art of pulling off a good interview, and the current state of musical affairs here in lah.

isgoodjon (8:25:27 PM): hey, all good, u there?
RFSL (8:25:33 PM): Hey! How are you doing tonight?
isgoodjon (8:25:55 PM): fine, exhausted
RFSL (8:25:59 PM): Yeah?
isgoodjon (8:26:13 PM): yeah tuesdays are clinical training days for me
isgoodjon (8:26:23 PM): working on a psych masters, doing counseling with inner city kids
RFSL (8:26:39 PM): Ahhh.
isgoodjon (8:27:10 PM): thankfully the wife and an unlimited supply of tivo'd law and orders waiting for me at home
RFSL (8:28:13 PM): Ah, excellent. My girlfriend and I have been decompressing by watching Madmen lately.
RFSL (8:29:12 PM): She works in speech therapy and is working at three different hospitals? I make video games, which equals long hours but isn’t nearly as emotionally exhausting.
isgoodjon (8:29:41 PM): wow busy people, just like me!
isgoodjon (8:30:39 PM): grad school, clinical training, the isgood radio show, the isgoodmusic website, live events, dj-ing, running online mental health support groups, an acting career, and electronic music production!
RFSL (8:30:01 PM): Ha. So isgoodmusic a labor of love then?
isgoodjon (8:30:47 PM): yes, well, a labor of love for the last 3 years
RFSL (8:30:58 PM): How did you start it up?
isgoodjon (8:31:55 PM): i started dj-ing at this loft hangout called the What Club and then these traveling house parties called Unlit where I met a lot of indie musicians...
isgoodjon (8:32:17 PM): then i came across killradio.org and thought it would be an easy way to practice playing music i liked
isgoodjon (8:32:44 PM): i started interviewing friends, then friends of friends, then before i knew it i was hosting some sort of morning becomes eclectic without a budget
RFSL (8:32:48 PM): For people who don't know killradio, how would you describe it?
isgoodjon (8:33:23 PM): it's a nonprofit collective of people who come in and out, occasioanlly throw rent money at a studio space, and do a variety of no-budget programming
RFSL (8:33:56 PM): And the show has grown over time.
isgoodjon (8:34:24 PM): yeah i've had around 200 guests so far, all invite-only, all hand-picked
isgoodjon (8:35:08 PM): some have become real indie stars like AM, Buddy, Henry Clay People, Happy Hollows, Pedestrian...
isgoodjon (8:35:20 PM): and a lot are just bands i like for one reason or another, all genres
isgoodjon (8:35:43 PM): i used to meet a lot from dj-ing but now i mostly come across them online
RFSL (8:36:10 PM): It's nice when you can just cover things that you enjoy, eh?
isgoodjon (8:36:36 PM): well the serious benefit to running the show the way i do is that i never have to spend an hour with a band whose music i don't care about
isgoodjon (8:36:57 PM): i never script the interviews because i never ask questions i don't actually want the answers to
isgoodjon (8:37:46 PM): i mean of 200 bands, almost none have ever blindsided me by making good music but not actually being interesting people, lol
RFSL (8:39:04 PM): It's funny, isn't it? I've been pleasantly surprised that very, very few people that I've run into in the music scene out here have been what you might normally expect from the perceived "LA Musician" type.
RFSL (8:39:22 PM): There are a lot of great people, very creative, and super interesting.
isgoodjon (8:39:44 PM): yeah i like to think i'm pretty selective about the directions i run in for that very reason
isgoodjon (8:40:29 PM): i was able to develop the idea for isgoodmusic.com because i was able to establish a personal connection with each of these artists and felt like i could vouch for them as if it meant something about me
isgoodjon (8:41:29 PM): fortunately the vast majority of bands who approach me have found out about me from bands who have been on the show -I remember The Hectors sent me a hilarious email demanding to be interviewed...
isgoodjon (8:41:40 PM): but this pool of musicians is already a great network and doesn’t know it
RFSL (8:42:17 PM): (Corinne from The Hectors just sent me an email berrating me for not taking advice from Thailand on what Thai food to order last Friday night. "Smooth...")
isgoodjon (8:42:33 PM): haha Thailand another great isgood band
isgoodjon (8:43:44 PM): when i launch isgoodmusic.com it's going to have a feature so all bands can use some of its resources but only isgood bands will have full features and i can still control musical integrity
isgoodjon (8:44:04 PM): i mean i'm not trying to be a snob about it all, but if i bring everyone into the isgood network, then it has no meaning
RFSL (9:17:02 PM): So, tell me more about the web-site. What are your plans for it?
isgoodjon (9:18:13 PM): what we're going to do is take all the isgood bands (bands i've interviewed), hook them up with really utilitarian web profiles, and then network them together - sort of myspace but just for the best of the indie la music scene
isgoodjon (9:18:24 PM): fans add themselves to bands instead of the other way around
isgoodjon (9:18:37 PM): gig promotion becomes automated
isgoodjon (9:18:59 PM): and most importantly band get to glean from each other's fans just by being in the same network
isgoodjon (9:19:17 PM): if you like radars to the sky, you should be listening to death to anders and so on...
RFSL (9:19:17 PM): Excellent.
isgoodjon (9:20:05 PM): this is also going to include isgoodradio.com, which will be its own radio station largely devoted to the isgoodmusic network and promoting quality music in la
RFSL (9:20:56 PM): When is that going live?
isgoodjon (9:21:46 PM): well we're currently in what my techie friends call beta testing, which means you can go to the site and about half the features are fully operational, but the new layout, with the radio station and all the goodies will be up this fall, hopefully by the end of october
isgoodjon (9:22:16 PM): when i started this project, it was meant to just be an easy way for me to know when my friends were gigging so i could better promote them on the show
isgoodjon (9:22:54 PM): now tens of thousands of dollars later, i have a legal team, an llc, and a team of geniuses working around the clock turning this into a movement of sorts!
isgoodjon (9:23:39 PM): although admittedly about 30 hrs/week is still just me interviewing, editing, podcasting, uploading, promoting etc
RFSL (9:24:02 PM): What's new with the show? Who are some upcoming guests?
isgoodjon (9:25:02 PM): Meredith Meyer, The New Room, Marvelous Toy, Liz Pappademas, Leviathan Brothers to name a few
isgoodjon (9:25:17 PM): i'm trying to resist booking band in octber because i want to get isgoodradio set up
RFSL (9:26:00 PM): You get a lot of compliments for being an excellent interviewer. What do you think makes a good interview?
isgoodjon (9:26:09 PM): thanks
isgoodjon (9:26:36 PM): i'm always really happy when a band writes me a testimonial and it articulates exactly what i wanted to achieve
isgoodjon (9:26:59 PM): i think a good interview is one in which the audience feels they were sitting in
isgoodjon (9:27:22 PM): i want them to get a sense of what it's like to hang out with these people, otherwise they can just listen to the cd
RFSL (9:27:45 PM): When it turns more into a conversation.
isgoodjon (9:28:21 PM): it helps that i don’t have to cut to a commercial every few minutes or feel pressured to do a give-away or something
isgoodjon (9:29:03 PM): i mean i'm aware that i'm doing a show and trying to structure something dynamic that includes talk, recorded music, and live performance, but i'm also just getting to know people i think are interesting
RFSL (9:29:25 PM): What have been some of your favorite interviews?
isgoodjon (9:30:09 PM): that's a tough question because like a good live show there are so many factors that go into it
isgoodjon (9:30:31 PM): some of the best shows are just one person with a guitar and it takes on a real philosophical tone
isgoodjon (9:30:54 PM): and others have me cramming 7 people into a tiny studio and witnessing something incredible happening
isgoodjon (9:31:32 PM): it's hard to describe what it's like to be alone in a room with something like Sonus Quartet or The Dust Bowl Cavaliers or Klum
isgoodjon (9:33:19 PM): i love it when the live sound comes out well, but honestly i'm always more moved by an act that informs me of the direction an interview will take and leave me feeling like a was able to influence the way they think about their art
isgoodjon (9:33:46 PM): ha, that looks more pretentious in text than i mean it
RFSL (9:34:24 PM): Heh. I know what you mean. I think you're covering a lot of acts who may not have received coverage before…
RFSL (9:34:38 PM): So may not have had that appreciation and outside perspective?
isgoodjon (9:35:00 PM): yeah many of my guests have never been interviewed before
isgoodjon (9:35:14 PM): they often come in pretty nervous and leave really amped
isgoodjon (9:36:02 PM): and many of those who have been interviewed have been hit with interviewers who are not genuinely interested in their music
RFSL (9:36:21 PM): Who have gotten an interview as an assignment rather than out of interest perhaps.
isgoodjon (9:36:28 PM): so they end just talking about ticket sales or talking about random irrelevant things
isgoodjon (9:36:30 PM): yeah
isgoodjon (9:37:20 PM): one advantage i think i have always had is that a lot of my friends are musicians and i really love music, so i have an instinctual feeling about what musicians do and don’t feel like talking about on the air
isgoodjon (9:37:52 PM): i don't envy the pro radio guys who just have bands dropped in front of them on a daily basis
isgoodjon (9:38:06 PM): u can almost hear the glass wall between the interviewer and the band
RFSL (9:38:37 PM): Yeah, the "this is what I'm supposed to ask so you can tell me the same thing you told the last guy" tone.
isgoodjon (9:38:57 PM): like actors at a press junket
RFSL (9:39:07 PM): “Always be on message...”
isgoodjon (9:39:44 PM): the only time i've ever scripted questions for an interview was when i had to do it over the phone and was afraid i'd draw a blank
isgoodjon (9:40:32 PM): that was with wildog of ozomatli and jeff turzo of wired all wrong and frankly i think of them as my most tepid interviews (no fault of the music)
isgoodjon (9:40:42 PM): oh and dj numark of jurassic 5
RFSL (9:40:51 PM): It's often fun driving w/o a map.
isgoodjon (9:41:21 PM): i'm much more comfortable in person and like any live performer i feed off my guests' energy
isgoodjon (9:41:28 PM): i don’t do phone interviews anymore
RFSL (9:42:06 PM): This must be a change of pace for you.
RFSL (9:42:21 PM): Being on this side of the fence and over AIM.
isgoodjon (9:42:49 PM): ha, yes
isgoodjon (9:43:40 PM): but i think this is working, again it’s a conversation with content - not a q&a
RFSL (9:44:45 PM): So I don't mean to keep you too much longer.
RFSL (9:44:55 PM): Let me ask you two more things...
isgoodjon (9:45:02 PM): sure no prob
RFSL (9:45:36 PM): Obviously you have a deep and abiding love for the Los Angeles music scene.
RFSL (9:46:32 PM): What do you think is exactly going on here right now?
isgoodjon (9:46:59 PM): ha
isgoodjon (9:47:13 PM): well, a few things...
RFSL (9:47:57 PM): You seem in a better place to answer that than a lof of people in town.
isgoodjon (9:48:35 PM): on the downside we're seeing the act of keeping a band going to continue to get expensive (especially with touring and gas prices), and a general trend around the country to treat music like some sort of contest (thanks to American Idol)...
isgoodjon (9:49:21 PM): and a lot of bands are actually leaving LA for places like Portland and Austin where they feel audiences still go out to see music and not just to promote one act at a time
isgoodjon (9:50:04 PM): on the upside, some really clever and talented LA artists are forming collectives and networks to support each other's work and this making for some great shows and some homemade buzz
isgoodjon (9:50:39 PM): and digital distribution and things like creative commons licensing are allowing bands to get their music out there
isgoodjon (9:51:29 PM): i think corporate radio is dead, but that's ok
isgoodjon (9:52:03 PM): people who are listening to cool music are listening to it intently
isgoodjon (9:52:30 PM): and no matter what your genre is, there's some amazing things going on in the LA indie scene
RFSL (9:53:06 PM): Yeah, running through the acts you've interviewed, there's a lot of variety.
isgoodjon (9:54:07 PM): also, not to pat ourselves on the back, but rogue promoters and bloggers have found a way to give back to the music they love and this is creating some positive movement too
RFSL (9:54:31 PM): Speaking of that, you've been putting on shows...
RFSL (9:54:59 PM): For quite some time, correct?
isgoodjon (9:55:09 PM): yes, it's gotten just a bit out of hand lately too, lol, hard for me to manage my time commitments
isgoodjon (9:55:38 PM): i started doing isgoodmusic.com presents events in oct 06, about a year after the isgood radio show started
isgoodjon (9:55:57 PM): generally it would be me pitching an idea to a venue and then booking a bill from bands i'd interviewed
isgoodjon (9:56:32 PM): nowadays i do more shows where bills have spontaneously developed with a majority having been on the radio show and then i get asked to step in and co-sponsor
isgoodjon (9:56:55 PM): i'm going to start helping Seasons book their monthly at Mr. T's soon for example
RFSL (9:57:07 PM): Cool. I was going to ask what was next.
isgoodjon (9:57:35 PM): it;s funny, there are a few shows that happen where everyone on the bill is an "isgood" band but by the time i find out about it indie 103 or kcrw has sponsored it!
isgoodjon (9:57:51 PM): sunset junction had four isgood bands this year
isgoodjon (9:58:26 PM): anyway, i hate getting the evil eye from some venue promoter because a band i gave a shot only brought 5 people
isgoodjon (9:58:55 PM): so i'm trying to sponsor isgood events these days where they don't necessarily begin and end with me bit still focus primarily on isgood artists
isgoodjon (10:00:52 PM): truth is if i went out every night of the week i could probably see 5 of my favorite bands play, but i can't do that, so i try to go to shows i know i'll be able to give maximum support to maximum artists, such as an isgoodmusic.com presents event!
RFSL (10:01:27 PM): Heh.
RFSL (10:02:43 PM): So last question for you: What are you listening to right now?
isgoodjon (10:03:07 PM): the bleeping sound of the instant messenger, lol
RFSL (10:03:25 PM): Oh, dude. You can turn that off…
isgoodjon (10:04:00 PM): but the last thing i was listening to was a jazz act called Leviathan Brothers which will be on the show at the end of september
isgoodjon (10:05:04 PM): and before that Willoughby
isgoodjon (10:05:23 PM): it’s funny, i used to spend hundreds of dollars at amoeba every other week digging for new music to spin
isgoodjon (10:05:49 PM): now 90% of what i listen to comes to me and ends up performed for me in a tiny room
RFSL (10:05:59 PM): Nice.
isgoodjon (10:07:00 PM): yeah i do think of myself lucky - i've been a music junkie as long as I can remember, but never imagined i'd be thanking artists so directly
isgoodjon (10:08:16 PM): a good song does a lot more for me than the 99 cent download does for the artist, so building isgoodmusic has been really fulfilling
isgoodjon (10:08:44 PM): lol, jesus, do i sound like this in person or just in text?
RFSL (10:08:55 PM): Ha, ha.
RFSL (10:09:17 PM): So, that's all I've got for you, Jon.
RFSL (10:09:23 PM): Thanks very much for all your time.
isgoodjon (10:09:28 PM): alright man, thanks to u

Photo by Avik Sogoyan.

REMINDER: Rock With A Twist IV Tonight!

Work's gotten busy enough where I've become fairly unfamiliar with the concept of sleep, let alone had time to catch shows, but, man... If I could go out tonight, I'd definitely be at Classical Geek Theatre, LA Underground, and Eagle Rock Bowling and Drinking Club's Rock With A Twist IV at All Star Lanes



The line-up is comprised of The Monolators (their new songs are consistently stuck in my head -- say it with me: "Bullet-head!"), Shiloe (what I've heard of their upcoming album sounds pretty damn good), The Health Club (equals nice and loud), and I Make This Sound (who I haven't seen in, like, forever).

All this, plus home-made pretzels!

The Tuesday Show Low Down (Or "Still Waiting For The Zombie Apocalypse... Any Time Now!")

Last weekend's Sunset Junction helps spotlight how much the Silver Lake neighborhood has changed over the years. Within a block radius of the festival, you can see bars on windows, No Cruising signs, and restaurants w/ valet parking...

The once-free festival is said to have been originally intended to bring together the area's burgeoning gay culture with the standing Latino population... Now it's $20 per day to folks who don't live in close proximity to the event and the purpose seems unclear.

Whatever the case, it's also helped spotlight some of the best local acts -- most recently, groups like The Happy Hollows, Radars to the Sky, The Henry Clay People, and Castledoor -- to a larger (at least here in LA) audience.

Many changes to the area aside, good music has luckily remained the constant for some time. As groups get bigger and export out, great new acts import in.

And we see 'em while we can.

Tuesday, August 26
- Lucky Dragons, Hecuba, Casey and Brian, Laco$ste, & Bad Dudes @ The Smell
- Manhattan Murder Mystery, The Nightbirds, Electric Russia, & The Mormons @ Mr T's Bowl
- The Artists, Old Believers, & From Leaf to Feather @ Tangier
- Bon Iver @ The Troubadour
- Buddy @ The Hotel Cafe
- Matthew Sweet @ Amoeba Music (7PM)
- Head Like A Kite & Molino @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- The Donkeys, Robert Francis, & Golden Animals @ The Echo
- The Delta Spirit (record release party), AA Bondy, Dawes @ Spaceland

DECISION:
Buddy and Manhattan Murder Mystery are my favorite local acts playing tonight...

Wednesday, August 27
- Beatnik Jr, Pic Vicious, Silver Ghost @ Three Clubs
- Shearwater, Neil Morgan, & Wye Oak @ The Echo
- Spazmatics! @ The Scene
- These United States, Clevis, Old Believer, & Amateurs @ Echo Curio
- Janeane Garofalo & Bob Odenkirk @ Largo
- Ollin, Hard Goodbye, & The Happy Casualties @ Mr. T’s Bowl
- Life Underwater, Golden Ratio, Crash Kings, & Linda Good @ The Silver Lake Lounge ($8) - TRVSDJ+AM @ The Roxy
- RX Bandits & Portugal, The Man @ Troubadour

DECISION:
Anyone have any recommendations for Wednesday night?

Thursday, August 28
- Rock With A Twist IV w/ The Monolators, Shiloe, The Health Club, & I Make This Sound @ All Star Lanes
- Satisfaction, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, & Hello Dragon @ Safari Sam’s (FREE)
- Indie 103 presents: Chester French, Saint Motel, Silver Ghost, Rumspringa @ Spaceland
- Matthew Sweet & Greg Laswell @ The Echo
- Rogue Wave (acoustic) @ The Hotel Cafe
- Human Giant @ Largo
- The Copper Thief, Carcrashlander, Alexis Gideon, & Tom Brosseau @ The Smell
- Out of Town, Ukulady, Cousin Junebug, & Cold Forty Three @ Mr. T’s Bowl
- Respect & Soundlaab present: Marcus Visionary @ Echoplex
- Mospeada, Evacuees, The Pentacles, & more @ Echo Curio
- Forget Me Nots, Dietra Kruschev, The Denouement & Samuel Kirk @ Silver Lake Lounge
- RX Bandits & Portugal, The Man @ Troubadour

DECISION:
The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra are playing for free? Gotta love that. And there's also Classical Geek Theatre and Eagle Rock Bowling and Drinking Club's Rock With A Twist IV w/ The Monolators, Shiloe, The Health Club, and I Make This Sound at All Star Lanes. Good music and free pretzels!

Friday, August 29
- Marvelous Toy, Sway, & Letting Up Despite Great Faults @ Pehrspace
- Dead Ponies & Flash Express @ Redwood Bar
- The Western Conference feat ZIONI, ABSTRACT RUDE, MYKA9, RAW vs D-STYLES & more @ Echoplex
- Jon Brion @ Largo
- Mere Mortals, LSD and the Search for God, The Swayback, Useless Keys @ Spaceland - Jay Nash, Joe Purdy, Meiko @ The Roxy - Love Grenades & The Pacific @ the Echo ($5) - Hot Water Music @ The El Rey
- Master Cylinder, Jellmunekita, Buffalo Eye, Bastard, & Skywreck @ Mr. T’s Bowl
- The Black Kites, The Hectors, James Brittain Gore, & Ladies and Gents @ Echo Curio

DECISION:
I feel obliged to recommend Marvelous Toy whenever they play out... The Black Kites and The Hectors also contain entertainment.

Saturday, August 30
- F Yeah Fest w/ No Age, Negative Approach, Matt & Kim, Glass Candy, Two Gallants, Fucked Up, Japanther, Ladyhawk, David Vandervelde, The Strange Boys, Paint it Black, Mika Miko, Monotonix, Crystal Antlers, Past Lives, Mannequin Men, War Tapes, High Places, Rumpspringa, Best Fwends, Abe Vigoda, David Dondero, Preacher & the Knife, Triumph of Lethargy, Silverghost, Underground Railroad to Candy Land, Off With Their Heads, Nodzzz, Tod Adrian Wisenbaker, Michael Runion, Frank Fairfield, Dimitri Coates of Burning Birdes, Graham Forest, Anavan, Halloween Swim Team, 60 Watt Kid, Witch Hats, & more @ The Echo and nearby
- Divisadero, Silver Summit, Fort King, Ben Kamen, & Desolation Wilderness @ Pehrspace
- Shiloe, Firebug, & The New Up @ The Scene
- Able & Baker @ The Good Hurt
- Happy Dwarfs, Weatherground, Infiel, & Black Apple @ The Cocaine at Live Jazz
- The Melvins & Big Business @ Troubadour
- Oh My Rockness Presents: Oxford Collapse & Love as Laughter @ Spaceland
- Felix da Housecat @ Avalon
- Dionysius, Growler, Corridor, & Slipping Into Darkness @ Echo Curio
- Gears w/ Media Blitz, Carnage Asada, Deadbeats, Controllers @ Mr. T’s Bowl

DECISION:
Lots of weird, interesting stuff going on at Fuck Yeah Fest...

Sunday, August 31
- Obi Best, I Make This Sound, Alex and Sam, & Vosotros @ Tangier
- Neil Hamburger & Pleaseasaur @ Spaceland
- Resolution @ The Mayan
- Manuok, Joshua Lanes, Evacuee, & The Pentacles @ Mr. T’s Bowl
- Echo & F Yeah present: polvo, Trans Am, The Drones @ Echoplex
- Grande Ole Echo w/ Southern Culture on the Skids, 5 O’Clock Somewhere, & Mike Stinson @ The Echo (early)
- Part Time Punks presents: Smiths/Morrissey Night! @ The Echo (late)
- Silver Summit, Gangi, & Winter Flowers @ Tangier
- 16 Bitch Pile-Up, T.I.T.S., Lithium Dream, & Peter Kolovos @ Pehrspace
- The Melvins & Big Business @ Troubadour

DECISION:
I haven't seen Trans Am play in fucking forever, but used to love the hell out of them. The final night of Obi Best's residency over at Tangier sounds worth checking out, too.

That's it. Please let me know if I missed anything.

Sunset Junction Photos -- Day 2

Here are shots from the second day of Sunset Junction Street Fair taken by the man/myth/legend Simon Cardoza.

THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE --





!!! --



KINKY --



THE BLACK KEYS --



RELATED LINKS:
- Photographer Profile: Simon Cardoza

Sunset Junction Photos -- Day 1

Here are some nice shots from the first day of Sunset Junction Street Fair taken by the ubiquitous Simon Cardoza.

RADARS TO THE SKY





THE HAPPY HOLLOWS







CASTLEDOOR



COLD WAR KIDS





BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE





RELATED LINKS:
- Photographer Profile: Simon Cardoza

REMINDER: Great Show at Pehrspace Tonight

If you like fun, don't miss tonight's show with The Hectors, Tandemoro, Thailand, and Kissing Cousins at Pehrspace. Besides the event's amazing line-up, I'll also be DJing a set made up of unreleased tracks from local acts like The Deadly Syndrome, Afternoons, Marvelous Toy, One Trick Pony, Amnion, The French Semester and more.





RELATED LINKS:
- Tandemoro Interview
- The Hectors Interview
- Thailand Interview

Video Free Silver Lake: Magic Mirror, Lower Heaven, The Sweet Hurt, & Pizza!

Here are some videos from groups playing here in town tonight: Magic Mirror, Lower Heaven, The Sweet Hurt, and Pizza!.

REMINDER: Three Great Shows Tonight

You could have a fantastic time at any of these shows here in town tonight. Gotta love The Mae Shi, Pizza!, One Trick Pony, Eagle Winged Palace, Twilight Sleep, and EXITMUSIC. Whatever you do, don't stay home this evening...

Let's Independent 2nd Anniversary: The Aftermath

To say that last night was fun would be the understatement of '08. Thanks to everyone who came, performed, and helped promote. Here's what you either saw or missed...

DEATH TO ANDERS --





THE SAVAGES --





XU XU FANG --





Photos by Scott Schultz. Videos by Elaine Layabout.

REMINDER: Let's Independent! Tonight w/ Xu Xu Fang, The Savages, & Death To Anders

In case I've written too much about Let's Independent!'s anniversary show this evening, maybe you can read what Flavorpill, Classical Geek Theatre, and others have posted?

The Monday Show Low Down (Or "Head Full of Bourbon, I Can't Stand Up...")

It's been a little sleepy lately around town, musically- speaking, for awhile now. (Or at least people have kept saying that to me. I've been MIA for the most part.) But the next week more than makes up for it.

Looks like it's time to cancel some plans...

Monday, August 18th
- Indie 103.1’s Check One...Two presents... Love Grenades, Bloodcat Love, The Black Kites, & The Polyamorous Affair @ The Silver Lake Lounge (FREE)
- Warpaint, The Drones, Did Princess Die, Hecuba @ Spaceland
- Janelle Monae @ Amoeba Music (7PM)
- The Human Value CD Release Party w/ Dikta, Light FM, & Venus Borgardus @ The Viper Room
- Sean Carnage & William Burgess Presents The Best of the Druid Film Fest @ Pehrspace
- Moonshine, Falsetto Teeth, & Crepuscule with Fido @ Mr T's Bowl
- Blake Mackey, White and The Writing, & All Neon Like @ Echo Curio
- Gil Mantera’s Party Dream & Anavan @ The Echo

DECISION:
You know, Gil Mantera's Party Dream need to be seen to be believed. And even then, it's hard. (Watch the video below for a taste.) They're playing with electro/experimental act Anavan, who are the favorite band of Fred from KXLU Demo Listen.



Tuesday, August 19th
- Radio Free Silver Lake Presents Let's Independent! w/ Xu Xu Fang, The Savages, & Death to Anders (acoustic) @ Boardner's of Hollywood
- Le Switch CD Release Party w/ Nico Stai, Les Blanks, & The World Record @ The Echo
- Franklin For Short, Eugene Francis Jr, & The New Limb @ Tangier
- Glen Campbell @ Troubadour (sold-out)
- Hiasakits, Previously On Lost, The Naked, The Albrights @ Spaceland
- Crash Holiday, The Health Club, The Nightbirds, & Tijuana Panthers @ Mr T's Bowl
- Tent/City, Lucky Dragons, & Sleepwalkers Local @ Echo Curio
= Oh Darling, His Orchestra, The Ivy Walls, & The Color Turning @ The Silver Lake Lounge

DECISION:
You may have heard us mention this before but... we're celebrating our two-year anniversary show for Let's Independent! with Xu Xu Fang, The Savages, and Death to Anders on Tuesday night at Boardner's. (Full details and MP3s right here.)

We'll plug that show more later, you can be sure, but I'd be remiss in not mentioning that I'm bummed that our event is the same night as Le Switch's CD release party at The Echo that night. They're another one of my favorite acts in town and it sucks when two great shows happen on the same night.

Wednesday, August 20th
- Eagle Winged Palace, Young Animals, One Trick Pony, & Connie Kim @ Tangier
- Classical Geek Theatre Presents The Mae Shi, Yea Big + Kid Static (Chicago, IL), The Fuckin' Kennies, and Pizza! @ Echo Curio (DJ sets by JAX)
- Rachael Cantu & Old Toy Trains @ Tangier
- Anthony Green @ Troubadour (sold-out)
- Indie 103 presents CLUB NME with: Black Francis, The Blood Arm, Black Gold @ Spaceland
- Le Face, Vapid, B-Lines, Defektors, & Friendly Neighbors @ The Smell
- The Pleasure Kills, The Double Dates, Blue Jungle, & Don Juans @ Mr T's Bowl
- HELL YA! Presents Twilight Sleep, Avi Buffalo, Exitmusic @ The Echo
- The Atma, Venus Illuminato, Olin and The Moon, & Previously On Lost @ The Silver Lake Lounger - Marathon Live presents Electrocute & The Lady Tigra @ 3 Clubs
- Pistol Pistol @ Redwood Bar
- The Spazmatics @ The Scene
- Pizza!, The Mae Shi, Yea Big + Kid Static, & The Fuckin Kennies @ Echo Curio

DECISION:
Speaking of great shows happening the same night... Looks like there's a lot going on Wednesday night. My own favorites being One Trick Pony, Eagle Winged Palace, and Young Animalsat Tangier and Classical Geek Theatre's night with The Mae Shi, The Fuckin' Kennies, and Pizza! at Echo Curio.

Thursday, August 21st
- Lower Heaven, Magic Mirror, & Line and Circle @ Spaceland
- Eagle Rock Bowling & Drinking Club Presents The Sweet Hurt, Reader, & The Hard To Get @ All-Star Lanes
- Io Echo, The Oohlas, & The White Arrows @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- The Walkmen @ Troubadour
- Respect presents: Demo (Human Imprint, Seattle), Friske, Noface, MC Dre @ Echoplex
- Bob Log III, Scott H Birham, Left Lane Cruiser @ The Echo
- Kissing Tigers, Get Back Loretta, Man Without Wax, The Fling @ The Knitting Factory
- GZA @ The El Rey
- Burlesque-A-Go-Go w/ The Hard Way & Spiders and Snakes @ Mr T's Bowl
- Kid Gloves, Hari Rex, Trevor Giulani, & The Coast @ Tangier
- Pizza!, Weave!, & Bill Gates' Best Friend @ The Smell

DECISION:
If you're a fan of trippy psych rock, you should check out Lower Heaven and Magic Mirror. If you're more up for smart and pretty indie pop, go directly to The Sweet Hurt.

Friday, August 22nd
- Tandemoro, The Hectors, Thailand, & Kissing Cousins (w/ dj set by Radio Free Silver Lake) @ Pehrspace
- Beachwood Sparks, The Tyde, Mia Doi Todd @ Echoplex
- Langhorne Slim @ Spaceland
- Jon Brion @ Largo
- Veruca Salt @ The Viper Room
- The Walkmen @ Troubadour
- Magnuson, Siberian Summer Camp, Die Rockers Die @ The Scene
- ISGOODMUSIC.com Presents Movement of the Sun, Happy Dwarf, Sabrosa Purr, Shiloe, & Ojos Rojos @ Mr T's Bowl
- Club Underground @ The Echo
- Expo 70, Late Young, White Breath, & Rainbow Arabia @ The Smell
- Arabian Prince @ Amoeba Music (7PM)

DECISION:
Friday night's line-up at Perhspace is uncommonly strong: Tandemoro, The Hectors, Thailand, and Kissing Cousins. But I'm djing the show, so I am likely teh bias.

Saturday, August 23rd
- Sunset Junction w/ Radars to the Sky, The Happy Hollows, Castledoor, Bodies of Water, Broken Social Scene, Cold War Kids, & more @ Sunset Junction (12PM - 11PM)
- Rock With A Twist featuring The Monolators, Fol Chen, I Make This Sound, & The Voyeurs @ All Star Lanes
- LA Weekly Presents: The Germs, The Mae Shi, Spider Problem @ The Echo
- Club Suicide - Official Sunset Junction Afterparty @ Echoplex
- DJ Mab @ Mr T's Bowl
- Sondre Lerche @ Troubadour
- Elephone & Loquat @ Spaceland
- Young Animals, The Deepsea Goes, Moldar, Black Sheep Wall, & Salt The Pillars @ The Cocaine at Live Jazz
- The Ditty Bops @ Largo
- Powersolo & Champaign Velvet @ Redwood Bar

DECISION:
There's a ridiculous amount of amazing local talent performing at Sunset Junction on Saturday... Radars to the Sky, The Happy Hollows, Castledoor, Bodies of Water, Cold War Kids -- and Broken Social Scene are pretty fucking great, too.

Sunday, August 24
- Sunset Junction w/ The Henry Clay People, Voxhaul Broadcast, Oliver Future, Gram Rabbit, Health, !!!, Black Keys, & more @ Sunset Junction (12PM - 11PM)
- Marvelous Toy and You Me & Iowa @ The Good Hurt
- Aliens, The Animalystics, Dialtone, & Van Gogh's End @ Mr T's Bowl
- Peanut Butter Wolf @ Echoplex
- Sondre Lerche @ Troubadour
- Snow & Voices, Facts About Funerals, & Namoe of the Moon @ Spaceland
- Obi Best (formerly Colorforms), Jogger, & Juliette Commagere @ Tangier
- Radiohead @ The Hollywood Bowl

DECISION:
The Henry Clay People play early at Sunset Junction on Sunday, while Black Keys go on late. (And there's still one act to be announced for the early evening.)

Though if you end up out on the west side on that night instead, go see Marvelous Toy and You Me & Iowa at Good Hurt.

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

Interviews & MP3s: Xu Xu Fang, The Savages, & Death To Anders

Scroll down a bit and you'll find the album version of Xu Xu Fang's modern classic Good Times, an unreleased demo of the song Snake Church off of The Savages' much-anticipated EP, and a track off of Death to Anders' upcoming Dave Newton-produced EP called Radio -- as well as links to interviews we've done with all three bands.

Please join us all next Tuesday night as we celebrate the two-year anniversary of our Let's Independent! monthly event at Boardner's of Hollywood. (Details and streaming rarities right here.) Because it promises to be more fun than having one of those armored vans with chainsaws on the sides when the zombie apocalypse inevitably hits.

XU XU FANG - "Years later, I opened a box, found the notebook and saw it. I thought it had to be used for a band name. Apparently, the words Xu and Fang exist in many languages. In one dialect of Chinese, I’m told it means 'Cool Cool Breeze.' Not sure though."

THE SAVAGES - "You begin writing and the song starts creating the story and the dream in your mind and heart. From there it is a discipline of letting the music take the lead."

DEATH TO ANDERS - "ROB: Charlene from One Trick Pony called us 'Gregorian Punk' because we harmonize with a lot of 5ths. NICK: Now I say The Beatles just to give them nothing."

MP3S:
- Xu Xu Fang's Good Times
- The Savages' Snake Church (demo)
- Death To Anders' Radio

Even More Let's Independent! Posters & MP3s

Again, as we head towards our two-year anniversary event for Let's Independent! with Xu Xu Fang, The Savages, and Death to Anders (w/ a special acoustic set) next Tuesday night at Boardner's of Hollywood, I wanted to show some more of the posters that folks have created for the nights and post another batch of MP3s from the excellent bands who have played the show.























Many thanks to everyone who has played, attended, and helped promote or put on the show.

MP3S:
- The Movies' Timothy James
- Division Day's Littleblood
- Great Northern's Into the Sun (demo)
- The Western States Motel's Powerlines
- Radars to the Sky's Prufrock
- The Spires' Grand Canyon Vacation
- Foreign Born's The Entryway
- Thailand's This Officer's Life (demo)
- Tandemoro's Lock Your Doors
- The Happy Hollows' Meteors
- Bedroom Walls' In Anticipation of Your Suicide
- Rademacher's They Are Always Into That
- Signal Hill's Luna Park (demo)
- The Monolators' You Look Good on the Train
- The Devils Romantics' Bird Song
- The Lights From Here's Birdmouth

Looking Back: Let's Independent! Posters & MP3s

As we head towards our two-year anniversary event for Let's Independent! with Xu Xu Fang, The Savages, and Death to Anders (acoustic) next Tuesday night at Boardner's of Hollywood, I wanted to look back at some of the great posters that artist/musician Christine Hale has created for the events and post a handful of MP3s from the fantastic bands who have played the show.























DOWNLOADABLE MP3S:
- The Black Pine's Goodbye Hollywood Forever
- EXITMUSIC's The Following Winds
- The Black Kites' Paper Heart
- The Parson Redheads' Punctual as Usual
- Buddy's Westgate
- The Hidden Hooks' Girl Don't You Get Buried
- Luke Top's Lord Save Me From This Valley
- The Karabal Nightlife's Sea of Sleep
- Letting Up Despite Great Faults' Movement
- Light FM's Save The Drama
- Everest's Rebels & Roses
- Princeton's Indifference Curve
- Wait Think Fast's [mystery track]
- Amnion's A Ton
- The Transmissions' Up From The Spinner