Interview: Automatic Drawing

It’s a rare case when you find a band just immediately fucking likable… where multiple songs grab you right away and you wonder why or how the hell you’ve never heard of them before.

It’s the very definition of a band crush – and new group Automatic Drawing (who make smarty pop music loosely reminiscent of early Belle & Sebastian and Interpol) is, as such, infinitely crushable.

We’re featuring Automatic Drawing at our next Let’s Independent! event at Boardner’s of Hollywood -- a night meant to spotlight some great local acts you may not have heard yet, like the equally charming Broken Remotes and Pizza!. (Hint: You should come.)

Here’s the transcript of a conversation we recently had with Automatic Drawing members Diana Salier and Drew Kirkpatrick, followed by an MP3 you ought to download.

RFSL: Hey, guys. Thanks for the patience setting this all up.
AD_Drew: No problem.
RFSL: How are you both doing tonight?
AD_Diana: Pretty good.
RFSL: So how long has Automatic Drawing been around?
AD_Diana: We got together last June, I think. We were called Streets On Fire til about three months ago and the band has been kind of reborn since then, we added a new singer
AD_Drew: Diana and I have been playing together for about five years.
RFSL: What were you two doing before?
AD_Diana: We were in a band in high school and then we did some electropop stuff.
RFSL: Did you play out for it or was it just home recording?
AD_Diana: We recorded it on garageband and did a few demos on a 4-track recorder. Never got to playing a live show, though it would be fun.
RFSL: Have you played a lot of shows with Streets On Fire/Automatic Drawing?
AD_Drew: I’m trying to think of how many, but yeah since last summer we have played about five or six shows. And have a lot coming up..
AD_Diana: Yeah, a few different places -- The Mint, The Derby, The Roxy. We have a lot of shows coming up, not just in LA.
RFSL: The reason I ask is because you sound like you've been playing for awhile now. The EP sounds great. The songs are immediately likeable.
AD_Diana: Thanks. That's awesome to hear you say that. Three of those tracks are from when we first started writing in 2007. Or no, two of them are. The other three are from earlier this year, but we've been doing them for awhile.
AD_Drew: Yeah, I definitally feel like every new song we right is always one of my favorite lately.
RFSL: That's great. You said you're playing out of town, too? Where are you headed?
AD_Diana: well we're doing a gig in Long Beach next week and we're taking a couple days in Santa Barbara and Ventura at the end of this month.
RFSL: Where do you guys live in town? What areas?
AD_Drew: I'm in the Westwood area.
AD_Diana: I live in Mar Vista, kind of near Venice.
RFSL: Ah, I work over there. It’s funny. A lot of the people in bands that play at The Echo and Spaceland regularly and get called "East Side Bands" (or whatever) live over there.
AD_Diana: yeah we're definitely a west side band. All of us live out here, except our new singer Rachel, she has a trek.
RFSL: I'd love to see you guys play at Spaceland or Pehrspace or The Echo because I think people would really appreciate your band there.
AD_Drew: I think we are setting up a show a Spaceland, right?
RFSL: And because I'm COMPLETELY lazy after commuting from work and usually stay around here at night. :)
AD_Diana: It's not confirmed but yeah we're trying to get a date for mid-December.
AD_Diana: Are you on the east?
RFSL: I'm in Silver Lake. Work in Playa Vista.
AD_Drew: Yeah, I would love to play in that area. Those are great venues.
AD_Diana: Yeah, our drummer Jon loves The Echo. I'd love to play at any of those places.
RFSL: It's a good spot for musics.
RFSL: You said you were playing electro pop before. What made you change?
AD_Diana: Personally, I just missed being in a band.
AD_Drew: Yeah, I really wanted to play shows and get a whole band together
AD_Diana: It's really fun to do the 2-person thing. Like the Postal Service thing. And we did it for an entire summer, but I think after awhile we just wanted to play with a lot of people
RFSL: How did you find the other members? What are their backgrounds?
AD_Diana: I found Jon on Craigslist. He had just moved here after graduating from Denison in Ohio. He's originally from Turkey. And Sarah is a friend of mine, we were introduced in 9th grade through another friend. And we actually were in a really hilariously bad punk band in 10th grade called Lefthandsalute.
AD_Diana: And then Rachel we found on Craigslist, too. Our original female singer Maria moved to SF and we waited until this past summer to actively search for a replacement and then we magically found Rachel and it was awesome from the start
AD_Drew: She is on the song War on the EP.
AD_Diana: Yeah, and We're Not From This Town. (Maria, that is.)
RFSL: Great song.
AD_Diana: Thanks!
AD_Drew: Thanks. That’s probably the first one I brought in to the whole band.
RFSL: My girlfriend (who I just looked up and noticed is, no joke, playing DOOM) and I were playing Scrabble on Sunday and listening to the EP.
RFSL: And she really really liked it.
RFSL: And that's rare.
RFSL: She usually doesn't like anything that came out this century… She's an dj and plays a lot of 60s soul.
AD_Drew: Awesome.
AD_Diana: Very cool.
RFSL: Anyway, anecdotal comment… :)
RFSL: (My best word was BRONZEN, by the way. 35 points! Ha ha.)
AD_Diana: i didn't even know that was a word. I used to lose horribly in Scrabble.
RFSL: I am a scrabble hustler. (My shame is apparent to the entire world now.)
AD_Diana: That would be a great song lyric. "I am a scrabble hustler" Drew, don't forget that one.
RFSL: Ha ha.
AD_Drew: I got it.
AD_Diana: haha
RFSL: I hate to ask you what your influences are, so let me ask you instead...
AD_Diana: ahh the dreaded question!
RFSL: What bands made you want to make music?
AD_Diana: Well, The Magnetic Fields, Death Cab For Cutie, Green Day (way back in the day, haha). There are so many - random obscure bands like The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Little Name…
RFSL: You've out-obscured me on those last two.
AD_Diana: Oh, and obviously – Dylan. Simon and Garfunkel. Tons of Dylan. More recently Peter Bjorn and John.
AD_Drew: Yeah, I love Death Cab and I’ve been listening to a lot of Neutral Milk Hotel lately.
AD_Diana: Oh, yeah. Neutral Milk Hotel.
AD_Diana: You got me into them actually.
AD_Diana: I used to judge Death Cab without knowing them at all. Drew would tell me to listen to them and I'd be like, “Eww, no. They're emo.”
AD_Diana: And now I have seen the light.Haha.
RFSL: So let me just ask you one more question... What did you play in high school band?
AD_Diana: Guitar
AD_Drew: Like music style?
RFSL: Instrument.
AD_Drew: Oh, guitar and and vocals.
RFSL: Nothing like the oboe or anything...
AD_Diana: And the band was called Zen Marlin. (Don't ask why.) The oboe is totally cool in bands now though!
RFSL: Ahh, I thought you were in high school band not in a high school band.
AD_Drew: Diana was.
AD_Diana: I played the violin and clarinet and stuff. Hahahaha. Well, I actually played clarinet in the high school band, too.
AD_Diana: Yeah.
AD_Drew: I played the French horn in middle school…
AD_Diana: You did?

DOWNLOAD:
- The Captain and the Sea MP3

Rad poster by Christine Hale.

Every Day is Like Halloween? Well, geesh, Al...

Earlier in the week, I emailed around with members of a few great local bands to ask them about their favorite horror films and what they're dressing as for tomorrow's holiday. And the answers?! May shock you...

Jack from Mezzanine Owls:
I'm not too big on horror movies, but I guess I would say 28 Days Later is my favorite horror movie. As far as what I'm dressing as… I'm a chronic procrastinator and never get anything figured out in advance, I should have it more or less figured out by five o'clock or so on Friday.

Karma from Super Karma:
I'm going to have to say Halloween from 1978. And I'm going to be a bumble bee. A hot sexy one. ;)

Dave from Signal Hill:
Rishi is going to be the skeleton costume wearing Johnny from the karate kid, and Tim is going to be one of the Green team from the 1980 movie Midnight Madness......m.e.a.t. - m-a-c-h-i-n-e, meat machines meat machines!

Brian and I are lame and dont have costumes yet :(

The Savages:
Our horror pick is Cannibal Holocaust

And For Halloween...

William: A lecherous Otto van Bismark
Mark: Bjorn Borg
Kilo: Waldo

Christian from The Transmissions:
I will be a Great Depression era "Unemployed Worker" And it's hard not to pick Evil Dead II as best horror movie!

Geoff from Pizza!:
I can speak for myself when I say favorite horror film is Sleepaway Camp and my Halloween costume is Ashley Todd, the McCain volunteer who carved a backwards "b" into her cheek last week.

The Hectors:
Favorite horror film
Jim: Muppets Take Manhattan. It's scary... if you're in Manhattan.
Corinne: The Shining

Halloween costumes
Jim: A hot dog.
Corinne: A slutty hot dog.

Hunter from The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra:
Favorite Horror movie:
Either Black Christmas or Deep Red

My Halloween costume:
A business casual whitey

Buddy from Buddy:
My fave horror movie is probably Evil Dead, mostly because I was eight when I first saw it and it was the first horror movie I had ever seen (unless you count Mary Poppins).

It scared the shit out of me and wasn't til many years later I realized how hilarious it was.

This year I'm thinking I'm going to go as a tornado. You know: gray sheet, tie a bunch of matchbox cars, little farm animals and houses around me with fishing wire, and then just spin around all night until I make myself and everyone else sick from dizziness...

Erica from Hearts of Palm UK
Favorite horror film - THE EXORCIST! Haha, of course.

What am I gonna be? I'm gonna be an angel with the name Chris painted on both hands.... Chris Angel.

Jesse from Princeton:
I think my favorite horror movie of all time would have to be The Leprechaun series. Those movies were crazy! Also, for Halloween I am not sure what I am going to be but if I had to guess I might dress up as the worlds largest ball of mud

Emma from The Black Pine:
Mitch is going to be a lamb in a white tuxedo and I will be an aging Hollywood starlet ala Sunset Boulevard.

The Pity Party:
The Pity Party's fave horror film: The Shining
What The Pity Party is going to be for Halloween: The Happy Hollows

The Tuesday Show Low Down (Or "It Really Shouldn't Matter But It Does...")

Even after having put on a few dozen shows here in town, I feel like I still don't have a real handle on what makes a good crowd on a given night... Sometimes you can walk into a place and just feel it in the air: People are excited and you know the band's going to feed off of it. Other times, it's a slim crowd but the performers just go for it anyway. Others still, showgoers are distracted and just talk the whole time, and the band gets glum.

Over the last week, I've seen shows where it seemed like a big party, where everyone utterly ignored the first few acts and then shut up completely for the last, and where it just felt like a large group of friends.

It's like this strange alchemical formula with ingredients made up of the performance, venue, weather, # of people, people's moods, the state of the nation, etcetera. And I'll be damned if I know what makes it all work out well in the end... Any thoughts?

Here's what the rest of this week is looking like:

Tuesday, October 28
- The Karabal Nightlife, I Make This Sound, Ema & the Ghosts, & The Shivers (DJ set by Radio Free Silver Lake) @ The Echo
- Jeff Lewis & The Jackals, Talkdemonic, & Homesick Elephant @ Spaceland
- The Kooks & The Whigs @ The Palladium
- Against Me! @ The Wiltern
- Tales of Banyan, Missincinatti, Weyou, & The Youngs @ Mr Ts Bowl
- Jack's Mannequin @ The Troubadour

DECISION:
I've really wanted to see I Make This Sound and Ema & The Ghosts, plus I like The Karabal Nightlife and I'm djing the night with new musics from local acts. So, I'll be at The Echo tonight.



Wednesday, October 29
- The Seabellies, Last Pop Nation, & Molino @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- The Muslims @ Amoeba Music (7PM)
- Red Cortez (formerly Weather Underground), Flashing Red Lights, & The Capshuns @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Polar Goldie Cats, Voice On Tape, Avi Buffalo Music, Wavves, Puppy Dog @ The Smell
- Out of Town, Electric Russia, Morning Glory, & Bright Million @ Mr Ts Bowl
- The Notwist @ The Henry Fonda Theatre
- Maylene & The Sons of Disaster @ The Troubadour
- MIMES OF WINE + MICHAEL BERG + MAD GREGS + AARON BOWEN @ Echo Curio
- Juliette Commagerie, Alex & Sam, Dawes, & Nicole Simone @ Tangier
- Marathon Halloween Party! The Deadbirds + Tall Hands + more @ 3 of clubs
- LOW END THEORY @ The Airliner
- Hackensaw Boys, Horse Thieves, & Eleni Mandell @ Redwood Bar
- Spinnerette (feat. Brody Dalle), Future of the Left, Super Sonic Jets @ Spaceland

DECISION:
Red Cortez are what The Weather Underground turned into. I also hear good stuff about Mad Gregs.

Thursday, October 30
- The Hectors, Marvelous Toy, Fol Chen, Les Blanks, & The Voyeurs @ R Bar
- Neil Young, Death Cab For Cutie, & Everest @ The Forum
- Jenny Lewis & Beachwood Sparks @ The Orpheum
- The Heavy, Pop Levi, & Gray Kid @ The Echo
- Lisa Hannigan @ Largo
- Ray Lamontagne @ The Wiltern
- Fujiya & Miyagi & Fool’s Gold @ The Troubadour
- Ukelear Winter, Dusty Drawers and The Pantalones, Listing Ship, Ukefink @ Hyperion Tavern
- Hackensaw Boys, Robert Francis, & Olin and The Moon @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Jon Lajoie, IO Echo, White Shoes & The Couples Company @ Spaceland
- TOMMY SANTEE KLAWS + OUR DARLING DEERS + AVI BUFFALO @ Echo Curio
- Secret Machines & The Dears @ The Key Club

DECISION:
Some heavy hitters on Wednesday night... If you're not catching Neil Young and Everest or Jenny Lewis, there's a great line-up at R Bar w/ Fol Chen, The Hectors, and Marvelous Toy.

Friday, October 31
- Autolux, The Henry Clay People, Kutmah, Restaurant, & Gaslamp Killer @ Little Radio Downtown Warehouse
- Asobi Seksu, Love Grenades @ The Echo
- Very Special Guests, The Entrance Band, Mack Winston and the Reflections, Jason Simon @ Spaceland
- Rise Against @ The Palladium
- MONSTER MASH-QUERADE with EXITMUSIC + SIRENS AND SAILORS + WHITE AND THE WRITING + FANTASTIC SLEEP @ Echo Curio
- The Damned @ House of Blues
- Helmet @ The Viper Room
- Rover’s Pinky, Strangely Attractive, Buffalo, & Bastidas @ Mr Ts Bowl
- Bondage Ball @ Echoplex
- Roky Erickson w/The Black Angels @ The El Rey

DECISION:
The Halloween party at The Little Radio Downtown Warehouse sound like the most fun among everything going on Friday night... Can't beat Autolux and Henry Clay. It's what Stan Lee would call "the titanic team-up that had to happen."

Saturday, November 1
- Aquarium Drunkard Presents The Parson Redheads, The Spires, Willoughby, & The Sweet Hurt @ Spaceland
- She & Him @ The Wiltern
- LA Underground Presents: Useless Keys, Summer Darling, Hello Dragon, Billygoat, & Blackbird @ Pehrspace
- Hollywood Squaretet, Hookah, Swords of Fatima, & more @ Mr Ts Bowl
- Shudder to Think @ The El Rey
- ALL SAINTS MELODY MASQUERADE with TIPPY CANOE + MADAME PAMITA + SAUSAGE GRINDER @ Echo Curio
- Forro in the Dark & Pilar Diaz @ The Echo
- Bootie LA @ Echoplex
- Zach Hill & Peer Pressure performing Necromancer, Sam McPheeters (spoken word) , Dietra Kruschev. & Auditory Aphasia @ The Smell
- Rise Against @ The Palladium
- Jason Mraz @ The Greek
- RoMak, The Jack Brewer Reunion Band, Senor Stretchy Skin, Defective Orchestra, Toy Attica, Bizzart, & Master B.E.T.A. @ The Cocaine at Live Jazz
- HALLOWEEN SHOCK-HOP! with Babl Bijits, the Badd Dancers, DJ Ultimate Tuna + more! @ Amoeba Music

DECISION:
I don't think you could come up with a better smart/sad/happy pop line-up than The Parson Redheads, The Spires, Willoughby, and The Sweet Hurt at Spaceland. It should be kind of an incredible night.

Sunday, November 2
- THANKSGIVING + WHITE FANG + HOWARDAMB + YOUNG HUNTING @ Echo Curio
- Ray Lamontagne @ The Wiltern
- Rise Against @ The Palladium
- Whispertown 2000, Michael Runion @ The Echo
- Part Time Punks @ The Echo
- Yo Gabba Gabba! featuring DJ Lance Rock and friends! @ Amoeba Music
- The Shivers & Charlie Wadhams @ Tangier
- THE BENTLEYS - THE NIXES - TREMELLOW - JE SUIS LYON - PHOBOS Y LOBOS - AND MORE @ San Fernando Library Plaza (4:30)

DECISION:
If you're out in The Valley, go check out The Bentleys outdoor show...

That's it. Please lemme know if I missed anything. (Sorry for the late post. I updated the calendar so that it's two weeks out to make up for it.)

REMINDER: Rademacher, Western States Motel, The Hectors, & One Trick Pony FREE Tonight

Interview: The Monolators

The Monolators make upbeat songs of longing... Sort of like a modern Buddy Holly act with both punk and pop influences. Their music is smart and infectious, and they themselves are one of the main reasons the Highland Park music scene is such a friendly, familiar atmosphere. (Their bbqs are great.)

We caught up with lead singer Eli Chartoff last night as the band gets ready to celebrate the release of their new album Don't Dance on Saturday night at Spaceland.

monolator (9:53:25 PM): Hey, Joe. This is Eli. Are you there?
RadioFreeSL (9:54:20 PM): Yes, I am. How are you doing tonight?
monolator (9:54:44 PM): I am just fine. We were just practicing with Jillinda, who's sitting in with us for the release show on Saturday night.
monolator (9:54:52 PM): How are you?
RadioFreeSL (9:55:02 PM): Excellent. Looking forward to the show.
monolator (9:55:07 PM): Me too!
RadioFreeSL (9:55:09 PM): Who is Jilinda sitting in for?
monolator (9:55:30 PM): Well, she's not replacing anyone, but we don't normally have a keyboard player
monolator (9:55:41 PM): So she's more of an addition to the regular lineup
RadioFreeSL (9:55:43 PM): Ahhh.
monolator (9:56:01 PM): We have a lot of keyboard parts on our new record so it's wonderful to have them live too.
monolator (9:56:19 PM): She also played with us at Detour and Pehrspace and quite a few shows now.
monolator (9:56:24 PM): She's a genius.
RadioFreeSL (9:56:33 PM): Cool. What other surprises do you guys have planned for the night?
monolator (9:57:36 PM): Ah ha ha, well, there are some surprises, but they'll have to remain under wraps for the moment--errrr--well, actually one thing I can talk about is that on our last song, We Fell Dead, we're doing what we call Bass Attack--as many people onstage with basses at the same time as possible.

monolator (9:57:49 PM): You yourself are welcome too if you like!
RadioFreeSL (9:58:15 PM): I don't think you want that. I'm like that guy on Lost that short circuits all machinery.
RadioFreeSL (9:58:27 PM): (Was that Lost? Some TV show...)
monolator (9:58:36 PM): Lord, I don't know...
monolator (9:58:56 PM): You know, for our kind of aesthetic, actual technical skill is not absolutely necessary.
RadioFreeSL (9:58:50 PM): Tell me about recording the album!
monolator (9:59:20 PM): Recording the album, well, it seems like it was a very very long time ago
RadioFreeSL (9:59:25 PM): (Sorry, I should've put that into question form.)
monolator (9:59:31 PM): No problem.
monolator (10:00:00 PM): It was back in the spring. We did it at Red Rockets Glare with Raymond Richards and Wendy Wang, just like we did the last couple of records.
monolator (10:00:20 PM): We sort of knocked it out in about a week and a half or so, manic speed.
RadioFreeSL (10:00:27 PM): Really?
monolator (10:00:43 PM): Yep, I would have loved to spend some more time on it, but budget got in the way.
RadioFreeSL (10:00:58 PM): You had some great results.
monolator (10:01:04 PM): Oh, thanks!
RadioFreeSL (10:01:24 PM): I'm guessing that you went into the studio with the songs pretty well formed already, then?
monolator (10:02:08 PM): Well, for the most part, yes. We're not one of those write-it-in-the-studio type of bands. We pretty much have the song worked out prior to recording.
monolator (10:03:00 PM): But -- because I'm a bit scatterbrained and distracted, I didn't actually start writing a good chunk of the songs until about a week or two before we went in to record them, so that was kind of silly on my part.
monolator (10:03:34 PM): But the ones that were written last-minute, those are some of my favorites on the record...
RadioFreeSL (10:03:51 PM): Why do you think it worked out that way?
monolator (10:05:04 PM): Well, just because I'm so busy all of the time, I have very little free time typically to devote to writing, and then when we have a deadline coming up I have an excuse not to do anything else but sit down and finish up a bunch of half-baked ideas.
monolator (10:05:43 PM): So I kind of need the deadline to clear the decks and concentrate.
monolator (10:06:18 PM): It's not ideal at all. I suppose if I didn't have to work a regular job I'd get a lot more done.
monolator (10:06:35 PM): Or, on the other hand, I might just spend all of my time asleep
RadioFreeSL (10:06:24 PM): What do you do?
monolator (10:07:44 PM): I work at Occidental College, which is a small private college in Eagle Rock. I work in the library, although I'm not technically a librarian (don't have a degree). I am what's called a Preservation Assistant, which means I get to repair books and things like that. It's actually a pretty fun job, but it's, you know, a day job.
RadioFreeSL (10:08:09 PM): That sounds pretty cool.
monolator (10:08:17 PM): It's kind of an artsy craftsy type job, which I'm grateful for.
monolator (10:08:26 PM): Not very remunerative, but it's satisfying.
RadioFreeSL (10:08:48 PM): I will not play Scrabble with you now, Eli.
monolator (10:08:53 PM): Plus I get to walk to work, which, after commuting for years to Venice every day, is AMAZING.
RadioFreeSL (10:09:03 PM): Oh, that's brilliant.
monolator (10:09:09 PM): I am very lucky.
RadioFreeSL (10:09:36 PM): So, let me ask about one song in particular on the album.
monolator (10:09:48 PM): Okay, sure.
RadioFreeSL (10:09:50 PM): Don't Dance. The title track. How did that come together?
monolator (10:10:55 PM): Ok, that one started off as a riff (the little instrumental hooky part) on my bass. I came up with it noodling around, and I thought it sounded Zepplin-y, which is always a plus, although we don't have much of the Led Zep sound.
monolator (10:11:04 PM): So I was kind of fooling myself there.
monolator (10:11:50 PM): Anyway, I had that part, and it needed a song to go with it...and Mary and I were complaining about how nobody ever dances in the clubs here.
monolator (10:12:38 PM): So I tried to write something that was kind of a gentle reprimand to Los Angeles.
monolator (10:13:20 PM): Basically complaining about people not dancing--the typical east side "we're too cool to dance" type of scene..
monolator (10:14:05 PM): It's vaguely addressed to a person, the idea was that it's addressed to a girl who's hanging out with a guy who's kind of gross, the bullethead guy
RadioFreeSL (10:14:03 PM): Does pogoing count?
monolator (10:14:13 PM): Pogoing is more than welcome.
monolator (10:14:18 PM): Nobody pogoes either.
monolator (10:14:25 PM): I'd even settle for the hokey pokey.
RadioFreeSL (10:14:26 PM): The bullethead line is pretty damn catchy.
monolator (10:14:52 PM): "Bullethead" is a catchy word.
monolator (10:15:16 PM): It's like "pudding." One of the great words.
RadioFreeSL (10:15:22 PM): So you guys recorded a dance remix of that song.
monolator (10:15:28 PM): Yeah!
monolator (10:15:43 PM): The idea was, originally, not to be a remix, but rather a reprise.
RadioFreeSL (10:15:58 PM): I played that when I was djing at Pehrspace one night and people danced!
monolator (10:16:05 PM): OMG.
RadioFreeSL (10:16:12 PM): It all comes around.
monolator (10:16:13 PM): Wait, I was there, wasn't I?
monolator (10:16:21 PM): Weren't they making out, too?
RadioFreeSL (10:16:31 PM): Yes. I think so. (Blush.)
RadioFreeSL (10:16:23 PM): How did the reprise come together?
monolator (10:16:52 PM): Okay, well, Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" album is a big favorite in our household.
monolator (10:17:08 PM): (I almost wrote "horsehold," which doesn't really mean anything.)
monolator (10:17:28 PM): And at the end of side 2 he's got a reprise of the title track, but done in a totally different style.
monolator (10:17:41 PM): And we thought "if it's good enough for Marvin," then...you know.
RadioFreeSL (10:17:56 PM): "What would Marvin do?"
monolator (10:18:09 PM): Exactly, which is the answer to pretty much everything.
RadioFreeSL (10:18:11 PM): Didn't it get some radio airplay, too?
monolator (10:18:40 PM): Yeah, Kat from KROQ has played it a couple of times, which is kind of amazing!
monolator (10:18:58 PM): We were listening to KROQ and she played it right after System Of A Down.
monolator (10:19:12 PM): Isn't that what they're called?
monolator (10:19:21 PM): THESE KIDS TODAY AND THEIR CRAZY MUSIC.
monolator (10:20:07 PM): Anyway, I can't quite remember when the "reprise" idea changed into "disco dance mix" idea, but Mary and I are huge fans of 70's disco, and Wendy and Ashley kind of made note of this.
monolator (10:20:27 PM): They produced and remixed the track themselves, mostly at our house.
monolator (10:20:50 PM): They had us record some extra bits and pieces, and then they played like nine billion synth parts.
monolator (10:20:56 PM): I love it so very much, it makes me happy.
RadioFreeSL (10:21:21 PM): It's a guilty pleasure without the guilt commonly associated to guilty pleasures.
monolator (10:21:52 PM): It's kind of ridiculous and over the top, but at the same time we wanted it to be genuinely awesome.
RadioFreeSL (10:21:52 PM): That is to say that it's really fun.
monolator (10:21:59 PM): Yeah, exactly.
monolator (10:22:12 PM): I think if something is really fun, you don't need to be ashamed of it.
monolator (10:22:46 PM): We're not trying to be all dour and mopey.
monolator (10:23:22 PM): We want our stuff to be fun, even if (sometimes) the lyrics are about personal and serious things.
monolator (10:24:26 PM): On the other hand, if "fun" to you is, I dunno, being a big old jerk, then we don't endorse that.
RadioFreeSL (10:25:25 PM): I think it's alright not to have a completely all-inclusive idea of fun.
RadioFreeSL (10:25:44 PM): (I just wanted to write that sentence out...)
monolator (10:25:55 PM): It's very impressive!
RadioFreeSL (10:26:04 PM): I’ve watched Bottle Rocket a lot.
RadioFreeSL (10:26:16 PM): So, you guys tend to make some great videos. Any planned for this album?
monolator (10:26:54 PM): *deep sigh* We'd like to, but we're sort of stretched a bit thin on the resources and time side at the moment.
monolator (10:27:21 PM): It would kind of need to come down to someone approaching us, I don't think we'd be able to make one otherwise.
RadioFreeSL (10:27:51 PM): That guy who did Western States Motel's video for free would be great.
monolator (10:28:04 PM): All of our videos were done for free.
monolator (10:28:16 PM): The effort that went into them was pretty astonishing.
monolator (10:28:51 PM): The Strawberry Roan video had something like 60 extras, 20 costume changes. It was amazing.

RadioFreeSL (10:28:57 PM): You guys seem to have a lot of friends.
monolator (10:29:08 PM): Well the key is to have friends who know college students.
monolator (10:29:18 PM): College students will do anything for free. ANYTHING.
monolator (10:29:37 PM): They're quite the resource.
RadioFreeSL (10:29:50 PM): Aw, man. I was going to lead into the Highland Park music community and you went in the other direction.
monolator (10:29:58 PM): OH YEAH.
monolator (10:30:02 PM): Those friends!
RadioFreeSL (10:31:04 PM): What's going on in Highland Park?
monolator (10:31:12 PM): Right now?
RadioFreeSL (10:31:28 PM): Well, you know, there are all these great bands there.
RadioFreeSL (10:31:37 PM): Or in the immediate vicinity.
monolator (10:31:46 PM): Oh, I thought you were talking about taco trucks and stuff.
monolator (10:32:04 PM): Yeah! Well we always kind of thought of ourselves as part of the Mr. T's scene.
monolator (10:32:34 PM): And there are tons of great bands from there.
RadioFreeSL (10:32:38 PM): Yeah.
monolator (10:32:47 PM): Seasons and Manhattan Murder Mystery.
RadioFreeSL (10:32:50 PM): Bodies of Water.
monolator (10:32:55 PM): Bodies of Water.
monolator (10:33:00 PM): Ooops, you beat me to it.
RadioFreeSL (10:33:04 PM): Fol Chen
RadioFreeSL (10:33:07 PM): Amnion.
monolator (10:33:09 PM): 8-BIT!.
monolator (10:33:15 PM): (dearly departed 8-Bit).
RadioFreeSL (10:33:27 PM): (They departed?)
monolator (10:33:32 PM): Yeah, they broke up.
monolator (10:33:40 PM): It's a tragedy.
RadioFreeSL (10:33:58 PM): That's a disasterbacle.
monolator (10:34:03 PM): Our other band, Cobra Lilies, played at T's on Tuesday
monolator (10:34:09 PM): So we're still there.
monolator (10:34:20 PM): We played with this guy called Featherbeard.
monolator (10:34:30 PM): He performs in...um...a beard made of feathers.
RadioFreeSL (10:34:40 PM): That sounds like something from The Mighty Boosh.
monolator (10:34:47 PM): Yes, precisely.
monolator (10:35:04 PM): He has this wonderful song about animals eating all of the movie stars.
monolator (10:35:10 PM): I have a musical crush on the guy.
RadioFreeSL (10:35:45 PM): Speaking of The Cobra Lilies...
monolator (10:36:02 PM): Aye.
RadioFreeSL (10:36:11 PM): When you write a song, how do you decide which band gets it?
monolator (10:36:43 PM): Well. Sometimes I'll write a song and ask Mary "is this a cobra lilies song or a monolators song?" But usually it's fairly obvious.
monolator (10:37:15 PM): In the sense that monolators songs are generally about things that happen to me in my daily life, and childhood experiences and my general inability with girls.
monolator (10:37:42 PM): And Cobra Lilies songs are about vampires and mermaids and stuff.
monolator (10:37:54 PM): So the themes are kind of easily distinguishable.
RadioFreeSL (10:38:09 PM): Ahh.
RadioFreeSL (10:38:24 PM): So, if there's a song about a unicorn... Cobra Lilies.
monolator (10:38:34 PM): Yes exactly.
monolator (10:39:45 PM): Also, I tend to write song titles before the actual songs themselves, and generally when you've got something written out like "Let," it sort of lends itself one direction more than another.
monolator (10:39:52 PM): "LET"???
monolator (10:40:04 PM): Sorry, I meant "Let's Go Into The Woods And Be In Love."
monolator (10:40:15 PM): You get the idea.
RadioFreeSL (10:40:34 PM): So, I don't want to keep you up too late.
RadioFreeSL (10:40:42 PM): Just one more question for you:
monolator (10:40:45 PM): Okay!
RadioFreeSL (10:41:14 PM): Who else is playing the release show at Spaceland with you on Saturday night and why are they particularly cool?
monolator (10:41:28 PM): Mmmm, that's a good question!
RadioFreeSL (10:41:42 PM): I'm cheating b/c it's a two-parter.
monolator (10:41:49 PM): I can handle it.
monolator (10:42:07 PM): One side of my brain will tackle the first part and the other side will do the second.
monolator (10:42:19 PM): Probably the part that's responsible for itching and drooling.
monolator (10:42:23 PM): ANYWAY...
monolator (10:43:39 PM): First up is Correatown, which is Angie Correa's band, and she is a wonderful songwriter whose work we adore. And, also--she sings on our record! And Raymond and Wendy play in her band, so it made a lot of sense to ask them.
monolator (10:44:19 PM): Next is You Me and Iowa, who we like because they're big poppy fun.
monolator (10:44:26 PM): And we aspire to be poppy and fun.
monolator (10:44:34 PM): Not "poopy" like I almost wrote.
monolator (10:44:44 PM): And then it's us.
monolator (10:45:49 PM): And finally we have Summer Darling, who are dear friends of ours that we've known for years and years. They've been around as long as we have (six years!) which is essentially forever in band years. And they're incredibly good! And Ben and Heather also sing on our record too! So it's kind of perfect.
RadioFreeSL (10:46:29 PM): It's a nice line-up.
monolator (10:46:30 PM): I will say that the show on saturday will be a bit on the spectacle side.
monolator (10:47:08 PM): We're having a lot of friends onstage helping us out, pretty much everyone who is on the record in fact.
monolator (10:47:18 PM): I am very much looking forward to it.
RadioFreeSL (10:47:20 PM): Excellent.
RadioFreeSL (10:47:24 PM): Me, too.
monolator (10:47:31 PM): Thanks, Joe!
RadioFreeSL (10:47:45 PM): Thanks for your time. See you on Saturday night.

RELATED LINKS:
- The Monolators’ I Must Be Dreaming MP3
- Mini-Interview: The Monolators

Video Free Silver Lake: Light FM, The Happy Hollows, & The Bentleys

Tuesday night's show at Boardner's with Light FM, Tigers Can Bite You, and The French Semester was great... enormously fun... Here's some footage if you missed it via Elainelayabout, along with Simon Cardoza's new video for The Happy Hollows and The Bentleys playing at Luxury Wafers' studio.

REMINDER: Let's Independent! Tonight w/ Light FM, Tigers Can Bite You, and The French Semester

If Light FM, Tigers Can Bite You, or The French Semester were playing separately, it would be well worth going out to see each of them. They're all great local acts who are especially fantastic live. But altogether tonight at Boardner's? It's practically a cause for celebration.

On top of that, Light FM and Tigers Can Bite You are BOTH celebrating new cd releases... So tonight will definitely be a party that walks like a show (or a show that walks like a party).

It's a $6 door with all the money going directly to the bands, 21+, starts at nine, and there will be Dewar's drink specials going all evening. More details right here.

DOWNLOADS:
- Light FM's Black Magic Marker MP3
- Tigers Can Bite You's Hawks MP3
- The French Semester's Winter Song MP3

The Monday Show Low Down (Or "Things That Ike Turner Would Say...")

Things didn't go quite as planned last Saturday night at Mr T's Bowl. The Spires had reportedly planned on playing with their niece, who wasn't 21, so couldn't get in and drove back to Ventura. Angela Correa, likewise, had to cancel. And touring New Zealand act The Ruby Suns never made it.

Fill-in acts (including the often great Jack Wilson Jr.) scrambled in, headliners Franklin for Short were in fact there, and Walk, who some might describe as "an awkward yet lovable offspring of Radiohead and Weezer," were kind of fantastic.

Whatever the relative scheduling chaos, it was a fun night with some nice surprises.

Monday, October 20th
- Rademacher, Le Switch, All Smiles, & The Henry Clay People @ The Echo (FREE)
- Pinback, Mr. Tube & The Flying Objects @ Echoplex
- Manhattan Murder Mystery, Seasons, Family Tree Analog, & Panic Movement @ Mr T’s Bowl (FREE)
- Brandon Intelligator, Samuel Markus, & James Bowers @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Dave Gleason @ Redwood Bar
- Locksley @ The Troubadour
- Kenan Bell, Distortion Felix, Southern Oracle, Not In The House @ Spaceland
- Sean Carnage Presents TOTALLY MAG! MAGAZINE RELEASE PARTY!!! w/ Juiceboxxx, I.E., Tik///tik, Oscillator, Smoke Crack, Whitman, Wonder Wheel, & Band of Outsiders @ Pehrspace
- Girl in a Coma @ Amoeba Music (7PM)

DECISION:
This week's FREE residency shows with Rademacher at The Echo and Manhattan Murder Mystery at Mr T's Bowl look like a lot of fun. I'm also a big fan of Pinback, who I caught at my favorite venue in hometown Chicago a few years ago.

Tuesday, October 21st
- Radio Free Silver Lake Presents Let's Independent!: Tigers Can Bite You & Light FM's dual CD release event w/ The French Semester @ Boardner's of Hollywood
- Monster, Mynameisguy, & Satellite Crush @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Mammatus, Wildildlife, Magic Lanterns @ The Echo
- Harper Simon, Haley Bonar, & Daniel Martin Moore @ Tangier
- Obama Benefit @ Spaceland
- The - Lance Romance, The Cobra Lilies, International Espionage, & The Virgin Rosemary @ Mr T’s Bowl
- Petty Cash (tribute to Tom Petty & Johnny Cash) w/ special guests @ The Key Club
- Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, The Like, & All Smiles @ The Henry Fonda Music Box
- GUY BLACKMAN + KATY DAVIDSON + PALMS + ENDLESS BUMMER @ Echo Curio
- Whispertown 2000 @ Amoeba Music (7PM)

DECISION:
Holy shit. Stop me if you've heard this before, but we're presenting a special dual cd release event for local indie pop favorites Tigers Can Bite You and Light FM, who have cds coming out on New and Used Records and Devil in the Woods. The also-quite-rad group The French Semester co-headline the bill.



It's a $6 door with all the money going directly to the bands, 21+, starts at nine, and there will be Dewar's drink specials going all evening. More details (and MP3s) right here.

Wednesday, October 22nd
- Marathon Presents John Webster Johns + Nite Jewel @ 3 of Clubs
- Obedient Waves, Pizza!, Spider Problem, & Stab City @ Bordello (FREE)
- LOW END THEORY (Take + Blackmonk + More) @ The Airliner
- Indie 103 presents CLUB NME with: Robyn (acoustic) @ Spaceland
- Dr Mint, PLOTZ!, Jbts, Lun is Honey, Kid Infinity, & White and the Writing @ Mr T's Bowl
- Juliette Commagere, Spain, & Combover @ Tangier
- Neighborhood Bullys, Dogweed, Boweevil @ The Echo
- VNV Nation with Glis @ The El Rey
- The Felice Brothers @ The Troubadour
- HELL KITE + ILO MAR + SLEEPWALKERS LOCAL + KEVIN GREENSPON + LIGHT SHOW @ Echo Curio
- Golden Ratio & Beware of Safety @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Dead Ponies @ Redwood Bar
- Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, The Like, & All Smiles @ The Henry Fonda Music Box

DECISION:
There are a few local bands I've been meaning to check out at Bordello on Wednesday night. (Note: This show was planned for Safari Sam's, which reportedly has been closed down.)

Thursday, October 23rd
- Flaming Fire & Starlite Desperation @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Stereolab, Mondade, & Richard Swift @ The Henry Fonda Music Box
- Helen Stellar, Seaspin, Shirley Rolls @ The Echo
- Human Giant @ Largo (Coronet)
- Bayside @ The Troubadour
- Rose Hill Drive, Colour Revolt, His Orchestra @ Spaceland
- Sunburned Hand of the Man, Franklin's Mint, Peter Kolvos, & Moment Trigger @ The Smell
- Tremellow, Crash Holiday, Pocket Rockets, & Performance #1 @ Mr T's Bowl
- Taj Mahal @ The House of Blues
- Dick and Jane, Dave Gleason, Mike Stinson, The Burlington Family @ The Hyperion Tavern
- People Under the Stairs @ Amoeba Music (7PM)

DECISION:
Anyone have any recommendations for Thursday night? Could be cool to see some of the country acoustic acts at the tiny/intimate Hyperion Tavern.

Friday, October 24th
- SEASONS + FOL CHEN + LES BLANKS + MEHO PLAZA @ Echo Curio
- Molino record release w/ Suki Ewers & Movement of the Sun @ Pehrspace
- Girl Talk @ The Henry Fonda Music Box
- Jon Brion @ Largo (Coronet)
- Presidents of the United States of America @ The Troubadour
- Grand Buffet, Hearts of Darkness, Anavan, Captain Ahab, & Kyle H. Mabson @ The Smell
- SOS Presents - The Shakes, The Glossines @ Redwood Bar
- Foreigner @ The House of Blues
- The Acorn, The Shaky Hands, Ohbijou @ Spaceland
- Miracle Dolls, Pussy Cow, Adam Marsland, The Changos, & The Invisible Hamans @ Mr T's Bowl
- Club Underground presents: Love Grenades, Jean Paul Yamamoto @ The Echo

DECISION:
There are a few good acts playing the also tiny/intimate Echo Curio on Friday night. Bring your own beer (and earplugs).

Saturday, October 25th
- Squaregirls Present Hungry Beat Dance Party @ Pehrspace
- SMOG Sessions @ The Echo
- The Mountain Goats & Kaki King @ The Troubadour
- Sarah Silverman @ Largo (Coronet)
- Chris Cornell & Timbaland @ The House of Blues
- Deadbolt, Speedbuggy, The Deep Eynde, & Naked Twister @ Redwood Bar
- Girl Talk @ The Henry Fonda Music Box
- USA is a Monster, Foot Village, Iron Mtn, & Residual Echoes @ The Smell
- Fi 8 Slo-Mo, Prima Donna, The Beat Killers, The Kill Devils, & more @ Mr T's Bowl
- XDUGEF + IGOR AMOKIAN + CAVEAT EMPTOR + POTAR + JEFF BOYNTON + ANDY BEN + (volt) @ Echo Curio
- The Monolators' DON’T DANCE record release w/ You, Me and Iowa, Summer Darling, Correatown @ Spaceland

DECISION:
OMGx3. How did I miss mentioning The Monolators cd release show before? I've been listening to their new release a lot recently and declare it ossum!



Sunday, October 26th
- Stan (Wall of Voodoo) Ridgway @ The House of Blues
- Grand Ol Echo @ Echoplex (early)
- Part Time Punks @ Echoplex (late)
- Neil Hamburger @ Spaceland
- The Mountain Goats & Kaki King @ The Troubadour
- O Paon, Guy Blackman, Katy Davidson, & Friendship Hurricane @ The Smell
- Human Eye, Static Static, Alien Sound Tracks @ Redwood Bar
- The Dave Brubeck Quartet @ The Hollywood Bowl
- Death Set @ The Echo
- Rachael Cantu, Gardening Not Architecture, & Jennifer Furches @ Tangier

DECISION:
When do you get a better excuse to post an old video from The Rumble Fish soundtrack? S. E. Hinton FTW!



Also, I love The Mountain Goats recorded, but live didn't do it for me the one time I saw them play. I hear they vary it up every tour, though. Worth trying again since many of their songs are fucking bright and shiny brilliant.

That's it. Please lemme know if I missed anything.

Let's Independent! w/ Tigers Can Bite You, Light FM, & The French Semester

It's less than a week away from our next Let's Independent! event at Boardner's of Hollywood and this one's going to be a fucking doozy...

Next Tuesday night, we're presenting a special dual cd release event for local favorites Tigers Can Bite You and Light FM, who have cds coming out on New and Used Records and Devil in the Woods, respectively. And indie rock heart breakers The French Semester (whose new cd came out not that long ago) will co-headline the bill, as well.

If you haven't heard some or all of these acts, take a few minutes to watch the videos and download the MP3s below because, holy shit, it's going to be a great night.







It's a $6 door (with all the money going directly to the bands), 21+, starts at nine, and there will be Dewar's drink specials going all evening. More details right here.

DOWNLOADS:
- Tigers Can Bite You's Taking and Running Away MP3
- Light FM's The High MP3
- The French Semester's MP3

Poster by Christine Hale.

The Wednesday Show Low Down (Or "Try To Think Of 9 To 5 As An Improbable Caper Film...")

All apologies for the egregiously late-in-the-week post... I've tried to make up for it by adding a pile of videos, including a new one for The Henry Clay People made by former Rademacher member Brad. (Does anyone know where the hell you can find live footage of The Soft Hands?!)

Wednesday, October 15
- Hearts of Palm UK CD Release Party w/ Obi Best & The Sweet Hurt @ El Cid
- Army Navy CD Release Event w/ The Henry Clay People @ The Echo
- Magic Mirror + Cuchillo @ 3 of Clubs
- Free Moral Agents + 2echs Marquise @ The Airliner
- Heavy Water Experiments, Ghost Machinists, Vatican Radio, & Lovely Bones @ Mr T’s Bowl
- Black Kids @ The Mayan
- Helios Creed's Chrome, Savage Republic, Secret Society Of The Sonic Six, VV Morgue, Death Party @ The Knitting Factory
- Anberlin with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Straylight Run, There For Tomorrow @ The Avalon
- The Atma, Mothers Sons, & New London @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Juliette Commagere, Mevansa, & The Polyamorous Affair @Tangier
- The Rumble Strips & Birdmonster @ Spaceland
- Dead Ponies @ Redwood Bar (FREE)
- Kings of Leon, We Are Scientists, & The Stills @ Nokia Theatre
- John C. Reilly’s Variety Show @ Largo (Coronet)
- Ryan Calhoun @ The Hotel Café
- The Locust, The Chinese Stars, Awesome Brothers @ The Smell
- Jackie Greene & Carney @ The Troubadour

DECISION:
It's girls versus boys tonight with a battle of dueling cd release shows... In one corner, electronic pop duo Hearts of Palm UK celebrate the release of their album with the also quite rad Obi Best and The Sweet Hurt down the twisted staircase at El Cid.







Meanwhile at Spaceland, it's another cd release event, this time for indie pop act Army Navy, who used to play out in town even more frequently than the likewise-fun Henry Clay People, who are joining them.





Both shows have great line-ups. It's a shame you can't clone yourself and go to each at once...

Thursday, October 16
- Born Ruffians, Plants and Animals, & Nurses @ Spaceland
- Jaguar Love, The Pity Party, & The Library @ The Silver Lake Lounge
- Tegan and Sara, City and Color, & Girl in a Coma @ The Henry Fonda Music Box
- Burlesque A-Go-Go, The Beeters, & Auto-Erotix @ Mr T’s Bowl
- Old Time Jam hosted by Triple Chicken Foot @ Hyperion Tavern
- Ghostland Observatory @ The Mayan
- HORSE THIEVES + CHINAPAINTING + THE OHIOAN + SPECIAL GUEST (featuring members of CROOKED COWBOY AND THE FRESHWATER INDIANS) @ Echo Curio
- Petra Haden & Woody Jackson @ Largo (Coronet)
- The Chinese Stars, Awesome Brothers, Bad Dudes, & Bipolar Bear @ The Smell
- Hot Little Pony, Blackout 101, & Bangkok Five @ Troubadour

DECISION:
Haven't seen The Pity Party in, like, forever. They're coming out of hiding on Thursday night to join Jaguar Love at The Silver Lake Lounge...




Friday, October 17
- The Soft Hands CD Release Event w/ The Happy Hollows & The Fling @ Alex's Bar (Long Beach)
- Say Hi, Jukebox The Ghost, & Princeton @ The Echo
- Tegan and Sara, City and Color, & Girl in a Coma @ The Henry Fonda Music Box
- Retaliate, The Wretched, Scrapmetal, Obscene Carnage, & Bastard @ Mr T’s Bowl
- EXITMUSIC, The Black Pine, VOICEsVOICEs, & C is for Carlo @ Pehrspace
- Club Underground vs Hang The DJ’s with Love Grenadaes @ Echoplex
- Jon Brion @ Largo (Coronet)
- PANIC MOVEMENT + MILLION KIDS + THE MONTHLIES + NO LITTLE KINDNESS @ Echo Curio
- Heroine Sheiks & Qui @ Spaceland
- The Roots & Gym Class Heroes @ The Palladium
- The High Society @ Redwood Bar
- Very Be Careful & Mezklah @ El Cid
- Yael Naim & Peter Von Poehl @ The Troubadour

DECISION:
If you're out in Long Beach, you really ought to catch The Soft Hands' cd release show at Alex's Bar. Everything I've heard off their new album sounds great and they put on an excellent live set. Plus? The Happy Hollows.



Meanwhile, talented electronic pop out-of-towners Say Hi (formerly Say Hi To Your Mom) appear at The Echo with local pop heartthrobs Princeton. Say Hi made one of my favorite albums a few years back (remember Impeccable Blahs?) and I really need to catch up on their more recent releases.

We're giving away a few pairs of tickets for the show, if you want to check it out. Just write us here with SAY HI in the header, your full name, and a quick blurb on why you should win stuff to be entered in the drawing to win.





Saturday, October 18
- Franklin for Short, The Ruby Suns, The Spires, Angela Correa, & Walk @ Mr T’s Bowl
- Wonder-ful: Tribute to Stevie Wonder @ The Echo
- MoeDog Darling, Name of the Moon, Hail Citizen, & Oh Yeah, The Future @ The Cocaine at Live Jazz
- Tegan and Sara, City and Color, & Girl in a Coma @ The Henry Fonda Music Box
- HEARD OF ELEPHANTS SHOWCASE with RANDOM PATTERNS + WOBBLY BONES + BBVV (BOBB BRUNO and VOICES VOICES) @ Echo Curio
- Jail Weddings, Wounded Lion, & Wild Youth @ The Smell
- The Muslims & AM @ Pehrspace
- Patti Smith and Her Band @ The Orpheum
- 89.9 KCRW Presents The Boat People @ Spaceland
- The Greg Proops Chat Show @ @ Largo (Coronet)
- Jessica Fichot, Alex and Sam, The Family Band @ The Hotel Café
- Polysics & Io Echo @ The Roxy
- Under the Influence of Giants & War Tapes @ The Troubadour

DECISION:
I have a hard time hiding my love for Ventura smart/sad/happy pop act The Spires. They haven't played in town for awhile and are joined by the also good Franklin for Short and Correatown at Mr T's Bowl on Saturday night.



Sunday, October 19
- Andrew Bird @ Largo (Coronet)
- Rachael Cantu, Theresa Flamino, & One Trick Pony @ Tangier
- Grand Ole Echo @ The Echo (early)
- Part Time Punks @ The Echo (late)
- Super Karma @ Raggedy Threads
- Tegan and Sara, City and Color, & Girl in a Coma @ The Henry Fonda Music Box
- OBEDIENT WAVES + THE REST OF US + ACTRESS + DHARMA BUMS @ Echo Curio
- The High Dials, The Quarter After, &The Shore @ Spaceland
- The Skatalites @ The Key Club
- Gaelic Storm @ The El Rey
- The Go-Getters @ Redwood Bar

DECISION:

If you can somehow scare up tickets to see Chicago pop merchant Andrew Bird at Largo, that would be pretty amazing.





Did I miss anything? Please lemme know.

REMINDER: Rademacher & Manhattan Murder Mystery tonight!

Crazy day. Like "we need to have a dance off to save the rec center" crazy.... We'll have a full show post tomorrow, but here are two FREE shows that are worth catching tonight for multiple reasons.





Note: The Savages have been blowing my mind lately... The song Boom Boom, por ejemplo, starts off with them blowing into a fucking conch. They need to release an EP asap.

Interview: Shiloe

Fuzzy/droney/rocky act Shiloe celebrate the release of their new album on New & Used Records this Sunday at Spaceland with Kissing Cousins, The Pacific, and Love's Like Smoke.

We caught up with two of three members, Ken and Melissa, earlier in the week to discuss how they started, what's next, and a bunch of what counts as in-between.

RFSL (7:26:56 PM): Sorry I'm late! Had family stuff and it ran really behind.
shiloe (7:27:06 PM): Don't be!! We were just wondering if we had actually successfully installed our AIM stuff.
shiloe (7:30:14 PM): Just to clarify, Melissa is typing, but Ken is here, too!
RFSL (7:30:20 PM): Excellent.
RFSL (7:30:31 PM): How long have you guys been together as a band?
shiloe (7:31:04 PM): Well, Ken and I started playing together something like 6 years ago? But Shiloe has existed for about three years now.
RFSL (7:31:46 PM): How did that work? What changed three years ago?
shiloe (7:33:34 PM): We had been playing with friends but it was hard to put together a lineup where everybody wanted to record, play shows and actually be in an active band instead of just jamming for fun, so we decided to start a new band of our own. Initially we were looking for a second guitar player as well as a drummer, but it was too hard to wade through all of the ads on Craigslist so we ended up just looking for a drummer, since drums are, y'know...indispensable.
RFSL (7:34:20 PM): Where was your first show?
shiloe (7:34:53 PM): At the Good Hurt. It was a weirdly incompatible bill with a bunch of folksy singer-songwriters, but it was fun. We were super excited to be playing on a stage!
RFSL (7:35:19 PM): Yeah, I would not consider you in the same genre per se...
shiloe (7:35:44 PM): Haha, yeah. I would say alienating people with our loudness might be our main problem as a live act.
RFSL (7:36:08 PM): Heh. You're probably alienating all the right people, if that’s the case.
RFSL (7:36:12 PM): How would you describe your music to a new listener?
shiloe (7:37:00 PM): No boxes! Ken says some famous singer once said this, but he can't remember who.
shiloe (7:37:34 PM): I would say we sound dark and noisy but also melodic?
RFSL (7:38:49 PM): How is your new album is different from your older material?
shiloe (7:39:54 PM): I think the songwriting is a lot more evolved. We're definitely proud of our first EP, but I think you can tell we were a new band. I also think this is the first EP that has turned out exactly how Ken and I wanted it to turn out.
RFSL (7:40:33 PM): That's great. I really like what I've heard.
shiloe (7:40:45 PM): Cool! Thanks a lot.
RFSL (7:40:47 PM): And it's coming out on New & Used Records?
shiloe (7:41:17 PM): Yeah, it comes out on New & Used Records on 10/14. They're a new independent label out of San Francisco. They're also putting out the new Tigers Can Bite You EP.
RFSL (7:41:28 PM): And Light FM too, right?
shiloe (7:42:50 PM): Actually no, I think Light FM is on Devil in the Woods. I'm pretty sure they're pals with New & Used but it's not the same label.
RFSL (7:43:26 PM): So glad to see someone out there putting out music from all the good bands around here.
shiloe (7:45:00 PM): We're definitely happy that we found a cool label that actually cares about our music.
RFSL (7:45:17 PM): So what's the plan for the album release show on Sunday?
shiloe (7:47:12 PM): Whew! Where to start. Okay, well first of all, I'm playing bass with Kissing Cousins now. (For the uninitiated, Kissing Cousins is Heather from Summer Darling's all-girl band.) We're playing at 9. Then the Pacific, then us. We're going to be performing in costume as characters from Back to the Future. AND we're working on a cover of "Pet Sematary" by the Ramones. AND we're going to have a couple of special guest stars. Then Love's Like Smoke has their debut. Plus, we're going to have DJ Christopher from Get Yer Rocks Off DJing. Oh, and we'll have free Halloween candy & goodies too!!

shiloe (7:47:18 PM): P.S. We love Halloween.
shiloe (7:48:26 PM): Ken says his plan is to "TAKE THE STAGE AND ROCK HARD." Then he threw up the devil horns, ripped off his shirt and fell to his knees in an orgy of rock & roll surrender.
RFSL (7:48:26 PM): "I don't want to be buried ... in your pet! sematery..."
RFSL (7:48:32 PM): I have that stuck in my head now.
RFSL (7:48:41 PM): That's a good plan.
shiloe (7:48:51 PM): YES! I always thought he said, "I don't want to live my life alone," but apparently it's "again," which makes a lot more sense.
shiloe (7:49:01 PM): You should join us on stage and sing the chorus!!
RFSL (7:49:29 PM): That movie is a lost horror classic.
RFSL (7:49:31 PM): Or something.
shiloe (7:49:44 PM): It scared the shit out of me when I was 9. Or however old I was when it came out.
RFSL (7:49:48 PM): George Romero AND Stephen King!
RFSL (7:49:53 PM): Ha, ha.
shiloe (7:50:10 PM): Wait, George Romero!? I'm sorry to say I actually had no idea he was involved! Did he direct?
RFSL (7:50:18 PM): Yep!
RFSL (7:50:13 PM): Pet Sematary 2? Not so good.
shiloe (7:50:20 PM): But Edward Furlong!!
RFSL (7:50:31 PM): The sequel did have a dog-headed guy.
RFSL (7:50:37 PM): Which is always good for laughs.
shiloe (7:50:49 PM): Did you just call Edward Furlong dog-headed?!

RFSL (7:51:28 PM): So what's the plan beyond the release party? Are you guys touring at all? Doing a residency? Or?
shiloe (7:51:48 PM): We would LOVE to do a residency. HINT, HINT, LOCAL VENUES!
shiloe (7:52:05 PM): We plan on playing up in SF or Vegas as much as we can, but probably no lengthy tours for now.
shiloe (7:52:18 PM): Unless a bigger band wants to invite us. HINT, HINT, SONIC YOUTH!
RFSL (7:52:40 PM): Where were you when you heard Daydream Nation the first time?
shiloe (7:53:32 PM): You know, to tell you the truth my first exposure to Sonic Youth wasn't Daydream Nation, but rather a guest column that Thurston Moore wrote for Sassy, circa Dirty. I've been obsessed with him ever since. And Ken didn't start listening to SY until I introduced him to them!
shiloe (7:53:47 PM): Did you happen to go to the Sunset Junction when they headlined? That was epic.
RFSL (7:54:04 PM): I missed it. I saw them at ArthurFest a few years back.
shiloe (7:54:10 PM): How was that?
RFSL (7:54:18 PM): Can't believe I missed the tour where they played Daydream Nation...
shiloe (7:54:36 PM): I know!! We missed it too! We saw their secret show at the Troubadour though.
RFSL (7:54:43 PM): Wow. That's fantastic.
RFSL (7:54:36 PM): That album blew my mind when it came out. I was just listening to straightedge hardcore and it was like BOOM!
shiloe (7:55:07 PM): Hardcore! Wow. I was already into Nirvana and Hole when I discovered Sonic Youth, so it wasn't that big of a leap.
RFSL (7:55:31 PM): Yeah, I still know all the lyrics to a lot of Youth of Today songs...
shiloe (7:55:32 PM): It's so interesting to find out what music people were into in high school.
shiloe (7:55:47 PM): Ken used to listen to Youth of Today.
RFSL (7:56:21 PM): What are you guys listening to right now?
shiloe (7:56:55 PM): We listen to a lot of local bands. I can't even remember the last time we saw a show that wasn't a local show. Jesse from Karabal Nightlife got Ken into Spoon and Destroyer.
shiloe (7:57:57 PM): I listen to a lot of girl music. Girl music to me is like, PJ Harvey, Tori Amos, Mary Timony and Helium. I LOVE Katastrophy Wife, which is Kat from Babes in Toyland's new band. If anyone who is reading this likes or liked Babes in Toyland, contact me! We have a lot in common and no one ever likes the shit I like!
RFSL (7:57:59 PM): I need to check out Destroyer. I'm incredibly lazy about checking out bands that don't play here.
shiloe (7:58:28 PM): Same with us. Also, we can't afford it! I would've loved to have seen the Raconteurs at the Greek, but anything that involves Ticketmaster surcharges is just impossible.
RFSL (7:58:44 PM): Yeah. It's a lot of work.
shiloe (7:58:52 PM): As it is now, if a band we know is playing a show that is upwards of $5 we're like, "EIGHT DOLLARS?!?! That's crazy talk!"
shiloe (7:59:11 PM): We did see Black Francis at Spaceland though.
RFSL (7:59:19 PM): Oh, nice.
shiloe (7:59:29 PM): He's a beautiful man.
shiloe (8:00:04 PM): We saw David Lovering open for him once with his "scientific phenomenalism." Ken bought a shirt from him and he was so excited! This was right before The Pixies got back together.
RFSL (8:01:16 PM): I'm really glad I've gotten to see The Pixies play as much as I have.
shiloe (8:01:31 PM): Same here. Did you go to Coachella when they played?
RFSL (8:01:54 PM): Three times back when, once after they got back together at Coachella (that was an incredible line-up). And Frank Black twice in-between.
shiloe (8:02:16 PM): The Coachella thing was my favorite.
RFSL (8:04:26 PM): It was like the best musical buffet in the world... Broken Social Scene, The Black Keys, Radiohead, Belle & Sebastien, Air, The Cure, Beck, The Pixies... (O)
shiloe (8:01:57 PM): Pixies are another band that I got Ken into which ended up influencing our songs alot.
RFSL (8:02:10 PM): Who would you say influences you the most?
shiloe (8:03:08 PM): Musically, Pixies, Sleater-Kinney, the Cure (early stuff), Sonic Youth, the Beatles. Ken really likes how they always experimented with their music and never got trapped doing just one thing.
shiloe (8:04:39 PM): Lyrically, I always liked bands that were more about imagery than making a definite statement or telling a specific story. I like evocative lyrics. Stuff like Nirvana, Hole, Radiohead, Pixies. Their songs might not necessarily "mean something" in a concrete way but the lyrics really make an impression.
RFSL (8:05:56 PM): All of those bands made you feel like you'd been somewhere or experienced something you'd never lived through in their music.
shiloe (8:06:10 PM): Yeah, that's what we really like in music.
RFSL (8:07:03 PM): What local bands do you like the most then?
shiloe (8:08:40 PM): There are so many! We'll try not to forget any...the Monolators, Summer Darling, Kissing Cousins (obviously!), the Karabal Nightlife, Wait Think Fast, Death to Anders. There's a song called "Sitting on a Leaf" by Family Tree Analog that I was obsessed with for weeks because it was on our iPod but I didn't know what it was! Great song.
shiloe (8:09:11 PM): There are so many great bands around town and it's awesome that you can go out any night of the week and see them perform. Frequently for free, or like $5.
RFSL (8:09:36 PM): I hear you. That's my favorite thing about LA.
shiloe (8:09:49 PM): Oh, we played a Halloween show last year with Joy Shannon and the Beauty Marks. She does a great cover of Search & Destroy on the harp!
RFSL (8:10:07 PM): And that's not a "we're so cool!" sort of thing. It's a "we're so lucky!"
shiloe (8:10:10 PM): Oh yeah, and I loved Katie the Pest. Then they broke up.
shiloe (8:10:15 PM): I agree.
RFSL (8:10:36 PM): Search & Destroy on the harp?
shiloe (8:10:45 PM): Yes!
shiloe (8:10:51 PM): I think it might be up on her Myspace.
RFSL (8:10:57 PM): I think that's one of those songs with perfect lyrics.
RFSL (8:11:02 PM): I need to look that up.
shiloe (8:11:06 PM): Right on.
RFSL (8:11:26 PM): Cool. Well, that's all I've got for you guys.
RFSL (8:11:33 PM): Thanks so much for your time!
shiloe (8:11:38 PM): Thanks for interviewing us!
shiloe (8:11:43 PM): We read RFSL everyday.
RFSL (8:12:32 PM): Do you have an MP3 I could post w/ the interview?
shiloe (8:12:55 PM): Sure, we can give you something from the new EP. Gone or Alarms.
RFSL (8:13:10 PM): Ossum!
RFSL (8:13:14 PM): That would be great.
shiloe (8:13:29 PM): Ken loves Netspeak. I'm teaching him to read it. Do you like I Can Has Cheezburger?!?!
RFSL (8:15:16 PM): They posted a pic of my dog on I Can Has Cheezburger once and was so proud. It was like he was famous.
shiloe (8:15:27 PM): Aww!! We'll look for that.
RFSL (8:14:21 PM): One of the things I like so much about Classical Geek Theatre is that Mouse makes me feel better about writing in Netspeak.
RFSL (8:14:25 PM): I am teh pwnz0r!!
shiloe (8:14:33 PM): Netspeak FTW! LOL.
RFSL (8:14:45 PM): Ha!
shiloe (8:14:58 PM): Haha, Ken's all, "What's FTW?!" n00b.



RELATED LINKS:
- Gone MP3