BAND CANCELLATION ALERT: THE TARTANS AT PART TIME PUNKS

by Marion Hodges

Anyone who is in the L.A. area and was planning to venture out to the Echo to see the Tartans on Sunday night should still plan to do so, as Sea Lions are still playing, and the Part Time Punks will still be spinning some of the best 7"s ever pressed, but the Tartans are now unable to appear. It seems that on Wednesday night as drummer Lon was biking home, he was hit by a car. They were initially planning to have him released yesterday, but it turns out that assessment came too quickly. He is having surgery today to reconnect some muscles, and apparently he has a few broken bones as well. Hopefully this will all be a distant memory by the time their planned April and May shows roll around, but turning around to play a show two days after surgery would be next to impossible.

In far more positive Tartans news, have you been to their Myspace page lately? Many silent prayers have been answered, and finally a recorded version of West of La Brea exists for our collective listening pleasure. I haven't been able to stop humming that one, though it's becoming increasingly clear that the stand out recording of their next 7" will most certainly be Tarmac. I've always enjoyed the song live, but on the recording all of the various elements that make it an interesting song seem far more apparent. That's just an internet recording too, I can't imagine how lovely it will sound on vinyl.

And I really do still highly recommend showing up at the Echo this Sunday night. Sea Lions have impressed me tremendously the last few times that I've seen them play. You can read a review that I wrote of one of their recent shows here. It also happens to be the release party for their brand new YAY! Records issued 7" Let's Groove so be sure to say "hi," and buy some vinyl from them. They're very nice people. Plus, if you're say, really into the new Pains of Being Pure at Heart full Length, and really wish you understood what reviewers are talking about when they throw terms around like "early Creation," "C86," and "Sunny Sundae Smile era MBV," then the DJ sets on Sunday will be an excellent place to learn by audio example.