Jan 9, 2022
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Gig #’s 50 -56 of 2015: Rob Zabrecky, Van Halen, Miss Jupiter, Omniflux, Honey Child, FFS
Since things have been pretty busy around these parts I decided to do one mass post on recent gigs I’ve been to instead of the usual individual ones. With that being said, here we go!
Gig #50 : Rob Zabrecky (Friday, September 18th)
I caught Rob Zabrecky at the Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood on Friday, September 18th. This was a very interesting show because it showcased Rob doing his full magic set for the first half of the performance and then went into his music set. His music set consisted of songs from an upcoming EP that he’ll be releasing soon as well as songs his time in Possum Dixon. I was extremely impressed by his ability to meld these two parts of his creative life into one extraordinarily entertaining night. I absolutely want to see more of both
Gig #51 : Van Halen (Friday, October 2nd)
I received a last minute invitation to catch Van Halen at the Hollywood Bowl for the first of two nights they would be appearing. I went largely out of curiosity to see one of the biggest rock bands of all time. I was a fan of the singles I’d heard over the year but was especially wanting to hear “Panama” which they ended up playing at the end of the night. The playing was tight and Eddie can shred as one would expect. David Lee Roth was by far my favorite part of the show. He’s truly the consummate Rock & Roll frontman. His banter alone is worth the admission. So yeah, I had a good time.
Gig #52: Miss Jupiter (Monday, October 5th)
Caught Miss Jupiter on Monday, October 5th at Harvard & Stone at the far eastern edge of Hollywood. They had a fairly packed room as they went onstage that night. Their brand of psychedelic influenced rock had the crowd getting into it. Front-woman Michelle is great at interacting with the crowd when she’s performing.
Gig #53: Omniflux (Saturday, October 10th)
I was originally going to see BATTLES at the Regent Theater on this particular evening but decided to see Omniflux at the Handbag Factory in downtown LA. I had been meaning to see her live for some time but things always would come up that kept me from making her shows. Her one woman band is fantastic. The music is dark and dancey and makes you forget that it’s just one person. She closed with the song “Lawless Flawless” which is a favorite of mine. As soon as her set was over I got in my car and made it towards my second show of the evening...
Gig #54: Honey Child (Saturday, October 10th)
To describe this gig as I arrived there I’ll include an excerpt from a message I sent to Honey Child mastermind Claire McKeown: “ I parked along one of the narrow streets and began walking over. It was a stillness that was calming, and in the midst of that I heard something. It took me a quick moment to realize what it was. It was a choir of voices flowing through the night air. As I walked closer the sound only became clearer and more present. Finally, I see the assembled Honey Child choir beneathe the lit tree. That has to be one of my new favorite memories of seeing live music in LA.”
It was a truly beautiful sight to see Honey Child within the late night neighborhood confines of LA. The music was truly gorgeous as was the setting of the show, under a tree in someones backyard. This was absolutely unforgettable for me.
Gig #55: FFS (Franz Ferdinand & Sparks - Tuesday, October 13th)
FFS post gig teardown of gear.
I was highly anticipating the FFS show at The Wiltern for some time. Their self-titled album is one of the best things that has come out this year. As brilliant as the record is the material is even better live. They opened up with my personal favorite “Johnny Delusional” and then proceeded to go through pretty much the entire record as well as several songs from both the Sparks and Franz Ferdinand catalog. The crowd was in great spirits and having a dancey fun time. They definitely are a contender for best album / best gig of the year from me.
Gig #56: Miss Jupiter (Monday, October 19th)
I decided to take a last minute jaunt to catch Miss Jupiter at Davey Waynes in Hollywood. Instead of getting there right in time to catch then it turns out the show was running late. No matter, when they went on they played to a good crowd and it may very well have been the tightest of the three shows of theirs I’ve seen. I’m not sure what the name of the last song in their set was on this night but it was probably my favorite and is pretty bass driven.
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So there you go! All caught up with recent gigs I’ve been to.
New Music of 2014: November
After what felt like ages, I finally got around to purchasing a few new releases that I've been meaning to pick up. This week I picked up:
- Jack White - Lazaretto
- Karen O. -Crush Songs
- United Nations - The Next Four Years
- Pink Floyd - The Endless River
The new Jack White is a solid record all around. I love how much more interesting his musical arrangements have gotten since the early days of The White Stripes. I also picked this up because friend and Long Beach musical mainstay IKEY OWENS played on a good portion of this record. Ikey is going to be seriously missed.
'Crush Songs' by Karen O. is an absolute delight to listen to. The demo quality of this entire album only adds to the charm of the songwriting and performances. Shit, I might even prefer her in this stripped down form over the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
I haven't finished listening to 'The Next Four Years' by UNITED NATIONS but this is already a blistering record from the first half I've hear. Can't wait to give it more time and attention.
PINK FLOYD - THE ENDLESS RIVER. I've been a HUGE PINK FLOYD fan for much of my musical life. I'm in the midst of listening to the new record and feel enthralled by it. Definitely am going to need some more time with this as well.
I still need to pick up the following new releases by:
- THE MURDER CITY DEVILS
- THE LEES OF MEMORY
- THE MUFFS
- TS & THE PAST HAUNTS
- MEATBODIES
- MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND
More to come.
NEW from Endless Sound...
If you saw the previous post on this blog you'll notice it was a non-music related quote. I posted it there on accident but have decided to take this opportunity to let you know that I also maintain a separate blog by the name of Freed From Context. It's focused primarily on literary quotations and other things of that nature.
You can check it out here:
http://freedfromcontext.tumblr.com/
Endless Sound's 2012 Review
I'm a bit late to doing one of those semi-obligatory year-end recaps, but things have been busy recently. Better late than never, here we go.
There were a lot great new releases last year. My favorite album from last year was easily the 'Searching For Sugar Man' soundtrack. The documentary covers the search for the reclusive Sixto Rodriguez and the effects his music had in apartheid-era South Africa. Though, technically, it is a reissue of previously released music, it is an amazing body of songwriting that has a timeless resonance. The film is currently in contention for the Oscar for Best Documentary. I would recommend this album to anyone and everyone.
Because a full review of each of my favorite releases from last year would take up an unwieldy amount of time, I'm going to do a quick run down in no particular order.
St.Vincent -KROKODIL (7 inch single)
https://www.facebook.com/St.Vincent
After releasing the majestic album 'Strange Mercy', Annie Clark released the 'KROKODIL' single as a Record Store Day exclusive. The title track is an uptempo punk number that ramps up the aggression that underpins some of her work. The b-side 'GROT' is an even more drastic musical turn as she veers into a musical direction that has much more in common with Stoner and Doom Metal than anything else. 'GROT' is an unforgiving and menacing song. The choral vocal sample that loops beneathe the song helps give it a strange beauty.
The Men - Open Your Heart
http://wearethemen.blogspot.com/
One of my favorite things about this record was how wonderfully sequenced the album was, it played through the way that a great mixtape/cd does. Lots of great tunes that are heightened by a raw but crisp production.
Metric - Synthetica
https://www.facebook.com/metric
I picked up this album towards the end of December and felt bad for doing so after I listened to it. Metric absolutely delivered in their songwriting and performance. The songs are eminently catchy, fun, danceable, introspective but not overbearing. Singer Emily Haines is now one of my favorite vocalists now. The heart of the album seems to be the low-key track 'Dreams So Real'. The question it poses is one that can easily apply to any artist.
Future Of The Left - The Plot Against Common Sense
https://www.facebook.com/futureoftheleft
Few bands manage to blur the line between aggressive and precise musicianship with a genuinely caustic wit. FOTL have no such problem. Andy Falkous writes the kind of lyrics that will leave you intrigued and chuckling from time to time. Make no mistake, they are a band whose musical and lyrical output will definitely cause you to think. Favorite tracks from this record include 'Beneath The Waves An Ocean', 'I Am The Least Of Your Problems', 'Robocop 4 - Fuck Off Robocop'.
A Place To Bury Strangers - Onwards To The Wall EP/ Worship LP
https://www.facebook.com/aplacetoburystrangers
A Place To Bury Strangers followed up their highly acclaimed album 'Exploding Head' with the twin released of the 'Onwards To The Wall' EP and 'Worship' LP. The familiar blown out distorted layers of noise masking highly catchy gems still applies. The both releases vary in their use of using live and programmed drumming. Some of the most explosive tracks included 'I Lost You', 'So Far Away', 'You Are The One', 'Mind Control', and 'Revenge'. This is a band best experienced at FULL VOLUME.
The Hives - Lex Hives
https://www.facebook.com/hives
Unlike many of the other bands that emerged around the same time as The Hives they never broke up or went away. 'Lex Hives' is a maturation of the music they made around the time of 'Veni Vedi Vicious' and 'Tyrannosaurus Hives'. It's a very fun record to listen to and delivers on all of their traditional strengths. When it comes to live performances few bands go as all out as they do to ensure you'll have a good time.
Melody's Echo Chamber - Melody's Echo Chamber
https://www.facebook.com/MelodysEchoChamber
The self-titled debut of Melody's Echo Chamber is not a groundbreaking record, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable one. Their sound merges a retro-pop atmosphere that is tinged with psychedelic and garage rock influences. That should come as no surprise since Kevin Parker of Tame Impala was behind the boards for this record as well as on it as a performer. Melody's voice recalls some of the haunting charms that the late Trish Keenan of Broadcast occupied, as well as breeziness of some 60's bossa nova. I'm very curious to hear where they might be for a second record.
The Henry Clay People - Twenty-Five For The Rest Of Our Lives
https://www.facebook.com/thehenryclaypeople
'Twenty-Five For The Rest Of Our Lives' bristles with the tension that occupies the lives of the modern 20/30 something year old struggling to find a place in the world. Don't let that description weigh you down, the music pummels through twelve songs in about thirty minutes. It is a fully mature album that still finds the time to let itself have fun before reality creeps in. Though the future of the band is cloaked in uncertainty there is no doubt that this record would be a feather in the cap of any band. 'The Fakers', 'EveryBandWeEverLoved', 'Twenty-Five For The Rest Of Our Lives' are all excellent tracks to get started with if you're not already familiar.
Shawn Lee - Synthesizers In Space
https://www.facebook.com/Shawnleemusic
Contemporary groove master Shawn Lee is a shape shifting entity that makes some of the deepest grooves today. 'Synthesizers In Space' sees him take an astral journey with dubbed out bass and percussion. With the exception of one of two tracks this is an instrumental record. This is the perfect record to groove to on a late night drive through the city.
David Byrne & St.Vincent - Love This Giant
https://www.facebook.com/LoveThisGiant
While the pairing of David Byrne and Annie Clark may seem odd at first, it makes a lot more sense when hearing the results. 'Love This Giant' exists as an entity apart from either of their bodies of work. The pivot point of the musical arrangements is the brass section that colors every song. The inclusion of such instrumentation adds a dynamic layer that is not commonly found in popular music. Their is enough experimentation and catchiness to make this a fun listen for fans of either artist.
Beth Orton - Sugaring Season
https://www.facebook.com/BethOrtonOfficial
A full six years passed between Beth Orton's previous record 'Comfort Of Strangers' and her new album 'Sugaring Season'. 'Sugaring Season' has a restrained power that is rooted in the acoustic instrumentation that contrasts against some of Orton's best songs and performances to date. The lead-off single 'Something More Beautiful' lives up to everything that its title implies. This is a magnificent record for those introspective moments in life.
Menahan Street Band - The Crossing
https://www.facebook.com/MenahanStreetBand
The retro-soul sounds of Menahan Street Band are the perfect soundtrack to just about any day. It's easy to imagine this album being the soundtrack to 1950's drama set in the inner-city as it is to have this be the grooving soundtrack to your summer. Their music has been sampled by various rappers and producers, so that should clue you in as to the type of grooves you'll find on this album. When not promoting their own records they double as the backing band for the magnificent soul singer Charles Bradley.
Other records I enjoyed from last year:
Deftones - Koi No Yokan
The Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania
Wild Belle - Keep You (12 inch single)
Red Kross - Researching The Blues
OFF! - OFF!
Also, very good chance that I will be doing another of these posts that will be devoted exclusively to some of my favorite local band releases from LA last year.
Endless Sound's One Year Anniversary
Today marks the one year anniversary of the Endless Sound music blog. At this time last year I didn't know what this blog would be or become, I just wanted to start a page dedicated to my obsession with music. By and large I would say it has been a rousing success. Out of 365 days last year, I posted here for 364 of those, I missed one day by sheer accident.
I have also managed to amass in excess of 100 or so dedicated followers here on Tumblr with no advertising aside from my numerous posts and tags.
To all of you that follow this blog, you have my sincere thanks for checking out what is my taste in music.
If any of you feel like recommending something for me to listen to please feel free to do so. I am always on the hunt for new future favorites.
In the coming days I'll do some posts to recap some of my favorite records and things of that nature from this past year.
THANKS.
RCJ
Endless Sound