Crappy Advice unabashed bias on indie rock

Kill Kill Kill - Palms Bar and Reasturant (Joshua Tree)

2009-08-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

When I pulled up to this place I immediately got a lost highway/Dusk 'til Dawn vibe. There where 4 dudes at the bar that looked like they had been sitting there since about 1850. I wasn't even sure where the electricity for this place was coming from. But after a few $1beers I was hooked... it was fucking rad. Kill Kill Kill played a 25 minute set in a lineup of what must have been 20 bands that day. I was totally mesmerized. I think this band was jamming... but I liked it? So weird. Like an old silent Rex Ingram film. Not sure what is going on but still... you just can't look away. So loud it created this soft deafening silence... hard to explain sort of like where you can't pay attention to anything else except what is pinging around inside your skull.

This is what I thought up while driving back to LA... staring off into the desert listening to nothing but the ringing in my ears. Kill Kill Kill will leave you def and dumb. They will blow your mind and your eardrums simultaneously. Kill Kill Kill is the shadow that strikes from the deep; the canine that pierces the jugular; the death blow. The band plays mind bending/ear bursting heavy-metal-math-rock instrumentals in the vein vintage Slint, Engine Kid, and The Melvins with the countenance of bands like Boris and Jucifer.

They have a blog!!! Yeah!

http://kxllkxllkxll.blogspot.com/

Puscifer Live at Club Nokia

2009-04-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

I am basing this review entirley on a review written by another music journalist. Basically because this Puscifer character seems so smug and pedestrian it makes me sick.

"Keenan appeared in a polished military uniform, cookie duster mustache and a crew cut as a character he's begun to use frequently in online vignettes, Major Douche"

"Standing in front of an even larger American flag, he incited the sold-out crowd to scream 'vagina' on command."

"comedic riffing from the likes of Brian Posehn"

ughh

P.S. I have nothing against Brian Posehn... I just fel bad he has been associated with this garbage.

Wolf Eyes at Spaceland (Los Angeles CA)

2008-06-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

LA shows are tough... it is just hard to beat the vibe in a room packed with kids in the midwest hold up at an empty warehouse with nothing better to do than get wasted and listen to bands that have rolled in off a greulling hot disgusting drive through middle America. That said...
Enter Wolf Eyes. The best and most powerful performance I have seen in LA ever. OK... I know that's not saying much. So here it goes. The show was mind bending. They are true artists in the closest and most pure sense of the word. Heart and soul and the punk rock ideal is poured over every ounce of all they touch, from load-in; to set-up; to the show itself; to the merch. table afterward. No false pretense here. What you see is what you get... and it is a thousand pounds heavier than you will ever get from just about any other band that exists today. The music is mind numbingly complex and it's impossible to comment on. This band is something that you have to experience first hand. Do it the first chance you get. GO! http://www.myspace.com/therealwolfeyes

Russian Circles at the EchoPlex LA

2008-04-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

I went to this show expecting to stroll right in the door and share this band's set with a handful of people. When I got to the club there was a line that stretched half way down the block! I was so sure that this many people could not know about this band I actually took a trip upstairs to the Echo to be sure I had the right place. Long story short, I eventually found a friend figured out I was indeed in the right place and waited in line for 15 minutes to get into the club. Joke was on me I guess...

These guys where amazing and it's no wonder so many people have caught on to them. They are somewhere between Metallica Master of Puppets era and Yes minus the vocals (if that is even possible). They played through the entire set and fluxed seamlessly between haunting lows and throbbing highs. The interplay between Dave Turncrantz's drumming and Mike Sullivan's guitar provides the backbone of the music. The freedom and familiarity between these two musicians allows tricks like finger tapping and odd time signatures to give the music a unique edge. I have to say aside from Eddie Van Halen playing eruption I have never seen anyone finger tap their way to adding any substance to a song... well until I saw these guys. They know each other and their instruments so well they play like its second nature. it's a rare sight these days and it is something awesome to behold.
http://www.myspace.com/russiancircles

Le Meu Le Purr - Knitting Factory LA

2008-03-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

I went out to see the Gay Blades and these guys were playing the slot just before them. They are a Ventura CA band which means nothing to me... but seemed to mean alot to the gaggle of LA-hair-hipster-glam-trash that seems to permeate this city like NYC sewer rats. Actually I am lying there were no glam metal weirdos there that night. They were at the key club doing coke in the bathroom with Brett Michael's sloppy seconds.

Any way back to Le Meu Le Purr. These guys play loud, fast, and hard and still manage to keep the sound indie. Since I have been in LA I haven't seen a local band that is able to play riff laden solid rock tunes without wearing eye makeup or sporting the shirtless leather vest look. These guys kill it and they kill it hard. Aaron Johnson vocals are reminiscent of Thursday era emo and the guitars follow suit with a dirtier darker feel. Scott and Robin give the songs attitude with an assault that breaks down and backs off just often enough to keep the listener intrigued. This band is what California indie rock needs... balls and brains with no cheese.

http://www.myspace.com/lemeulepurr

The Mars Volta at University of Irvine

2008-02-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

I had a buddy visiting from New York and we went to this show together. I have admired these guys for a while now and the show was nothing short of amazing. There were about 5000 people watching and the band killed it. Cedric was so engaging he somehow managed to shrink the basketball stadium to a 10x10 room and the guitars, keys, and percussion are relentless in that - I need to close my eyes to figure out what exactly is happening here - way. These guys are so true and so well schooled it is something to behold. One of those live bands that you just need to talk about but can't because there really are not words to express how innovative and huge they seem to be. So why am I still writing. I can't stop! AHHHH. The only thing I missed was Jon Thoedore behind the drums.

After the show Juan, Omar, and Cedric asked my buddy to hangout (I guess they are friends... it was news to me?). I reluctantly tagged along expecting the typical retarded backstage antics and weird comingling of groupies and industry scavenging for bits of carrion to post to their blogs or notch on their belts. HA!... irony. So anyway, we wound up hanging out with them for 4 hours after the show. It was totally normal. Just friends and family. No groupies or industry in sight. Which just furthered my admiration and respect for everything they have accomplished.

Louis XIV and Hot Hot Heat at the Wiltern

2008-02-11T08:55:00.000-08:00

These guys have been my dirty little secret for a while now. When the CD turned up in my car I blamed it on my girlfriend... When I was humming "milkshake... milkshake..." I convinced myself it was some sort of Pavlovian tick. Then on Feb. 9th I decided to see just how glamorous I was. I bit the bullet and attended a Louis XIV show. To my horror the bill was shared by the Hot Hot Heat. But I saw it as a true test of my musical orientation. It was a crux. In my mind the pendulum would swing to ascot and white jeans or hoody and vans.

To be fair Louis XIV were pretty good. The show was entertaining they simply played the songs with very little in between. The guitars sounded amazing which I know is no small feat. I am sure they spent years dialing in their sound. They were solid. Was it like the first time I saw the Afghan Whigs? Absolutely not. Was it good though? Yes. The Hot Hot Heat were not my thing and seemed to be one of those bands that made me realize how much my feet hurt and how long I have been standing.

Mardo at the Key Club , Los Angeles CA

2007-12-17T19:39:00.000-08:00

If these guys were a joke band they would be fantastic. I think that's why I liked them at first, but three songs in I realized they were fucking serious. They are a would be a hipster version of Spinal Tap if Spinal Tap was a real band. What's worse is they play really really really really really boring repetitive songs that go absolutely no where. The most entertaining thing about this band was the denim unitard Aaron Mardo was wearing. But that's only because I saw my step mother wearing one in 1988 and she looked so dumb; I still to this day laugh about it. They even managed to turn the Thurman, one of the sexiest instruments in rock n' roll (see jon spencer)... gay. Mardo did so many ass maneuvers toward the Thurman I swear the antenna shrunk. If you want to see what's wrong with "indie rock" aesthetic and creativity in music today please go see this band. It will become apparent to you immediately.
http://www.myspace.com/mardo

WJ and the Sweet Sacrifice at the Cork Screw Jersey City NJ

2007-11-05T07:08:00.000-08:00

It's not rare to come across a band that is so excited to release their debut album they can't keep themselves from squeezing the topic as a non sequitur into any conversation. It's a common form of tourettes that overcomes anyone that has spent countless hours holed up in a tiny windowless box picking over abstract aural detail that only the insane could appreciate. Well, enter WJ & the Sweet Sacrifice. The difference is these guys (and gal) don't want you to simply hear it, they want you to enjoy it. In an age of aloof hipsters ripping off whatever scene is hot at the moment just to get an audience, it's rare to find a band that truly wants you to experience their music. I have never played with a band that gets so much satisfaction and appreciation out of an audience connecting with their set. The setup is that of a quintessential rock band with an alt-country twist. The rhythm section is Mike Mobius and Neil McAneny and they hold it down back beat style. Billy Ferrara Fronts the band with a throaty vocal style and presence that reminisces back to early Mike Ness and there are not many things that are better to watch than Erin Conners slinging guitar riffs over the entire mess. Beware! She's cute as a button but tougher than a bag full of angry rattle snakes. All together the sound is pretty unique and throughout the set hints of the Lies Lies Lies era Gn'R with Kings of Leon and Social D. can be faintly heard. These guys wear their hearts on their sleeves and they have a new LP out on Moonlight Mile Records.
http://www.myspace.com/thesweetsacrifice

Boogdish at 1919 Hemphill San Antonio, TX

2007-10-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Michael Barton is the man behind Boogdish and the bands only member. Its a combination of samples that Barton makes himself and distorted baselines played by Barton. All the while Barton crunes/speaks amusing lyrics about day to day life in the bizarre world of Boogdish. It reminds me of a 70/30% cross of Weird Al and the Minutemen. Yeah, I didn't think it was possible either. But I was there. It's possible. The pretty large crowd was amused and seemed genuinely entertained his entire 35 minute set. For me, this is an accomplishment for the first act at 8:30 pm on a Wednesday in a seedy Ghetto neighborhood of Fort Worth, TX. About 15 minutes into the performance a string of white mucous appeared creeping out of Barton's nose. It caught most of the audiences attention and added a sort of tension to the set because Barton seemed oblivious to it. That is until the last song when the booger stretched about six inches from his nose and latched itself to the microphone. In the final moments of his set the most brilliant thing happened. Barton sang just enough verses about the fate of his snooty excretion to let the audience know the joke was on them. This set was truly entertaining, we just prayed the club had another microphone.
http://www.myspace.com/boogdish

Jucifer at Mooch and Burn VFW Tulsa OK

2007-10-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

We traveled from NYC to Los Angeles to Tulsa OK in under 26 hours to play the first show of our latest tour with Jucifer. The Venue was switched last minute and when we pulled up to the enormous neon VFW sign we all looked at each other and sighed a little bit. Not that we have anything against Veterans of Foreign Wars we have just had really horrible experiences playing for them. This night turned out to be just the opposite and we milked it by spending six hours in the VFW bar becoming acquainted with Tulsa's war heroes. The girls set the room on fire that night and just before we went downstairs to watch Jucifer play we did Wild Turkey shots from glasses that were so dirty and full of bugs I think the entire room gagged a little bit after we tipped our elbows.
Any way, did I mention the venue was changed? Yes. But I didn't mention that Van Halen and a gun convention were in town that evening. Two VERY popular attractions in Tulsa. We watched Jucifer play to a crowd of three... that would be us. Needless to say, they killed it. It was the most impressive and heartfelt show I have seen since, well, I can remember. They are so in the moment and part of the music the entire performance that it's hard to imagine them as normal people that... let's say... brush their teeth or eat sandwiches. That is, until they get off the stage and are three (including Brent their lighting/sound/roadie/sidekick) of the kindest most considerate people you could ever interact with. That night (to our horror) we played after Jucifer with just Amber, Ed, and Brent standing there watching us in the empty VFW hall. Jucifer is truly one of the last of their kind. An endangered species that honestly and earnestly holds fast to the original punk rock ideal. They live to play and play to live. It's as simple as that.
http://www.myspace.com/jucifer

Holloys at The Knitting Factory Los Angeles

2007-08-18T15:24:00.001-07:00

Holloys is the brainchild of Jim Brown (Bluebirds) . Jon Gonnelli (Rye Coalition) on guitar and Jose' Medeles (The Breeders) on the skins give the music a soulful pop sensibility, but the vibe is in the vein of Peter Gabriel, post Genesis. The songs are built around the meandering rhythm and the beat drives throughout the entire set. The music sort of has a primal feel to it. I imagine this is because Jose' has no snare drum and plays two floor toms and a bass drum with sparing use of the cymbals. Gonnelli accents the songs with leads that follow and help emote the rhythm. While all this primordial rhythm is being stewed Jim scurries around the stage playing leads on Bass, while injecting samples, and spurting out sparse lyrics that give the music a personality that the listener can connect with. With the the truly creative use of a classic 3pc. setup and no computers, Holloys are like an indie rock version of Battles. Yeah that's right I said it...
http://www.myspace.com/holloys

The Curtains of Night Live at Ringside Durham, NC

2007-07-18T08:42:00.001-07:00

First off I have to say something about the Ringside in Durham. This club was sick... or actually might make you sick. It really depends on what side of the rusty nail you're on. The show was on the 3rd floor of the club. It took about 45 minutes in sweltering Durham heat for all the bands to wind their way up the dingy steps to the stage area. Once we were all up and settled and done panting I was introduced to Nora singer and guitar player for The Curtains of Night. I think I first noticed all 90 pounds of her carrying a Marshall half stack up the stairs alone. I thought hmmm that's kind of nuts... then TCON hit the stage and it all became quite clear. Nora plays a sick array of homemade stomp boxes and amp heads through speaker cabs that go on forever. Her setup looks like a science experiment and sounds like the kind of thunder that makes you want to cry a little. The most amazing thing about this band is the sound they get for a two piece. Lauren kills on the drums and at times seems like she is a dirty cop trying to beat some sort of confession out of them. Actually that is the perfect metaphor for these guys... good cop/bad cop. Nora screams her head off and lulls you into a stoner-rock induced haze with the sickest guitar tone I have ever heard while Lauren pounds the drums into submission. http://www.myspace.com/thecurtainsofnight

King Crab (Live at The Scene, Los Angeles CA)

2007-06-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

These guys are a mystery. A white rap duet composed of two blond blue eyed fellas that imbue the California dude. Tonight, they have "disguised" themselves in cheesy Elvis aviators, trucker caps with stuffed rats stapled to them, and cheep terry cloth robes. Despite the sinking feeling I got when I saw them on the bill the performance was really entertaining. They made rapping on an empty stage to a group of about 20 people seem easy and kept it entertaining. It took a song or two for them to win over the entire crowd but when they busted out with shake that ass, shake that pussy, lookin' at you I like your moves, just about everyone in the bar was dancing. These guys are entertaining but, the thing is, it's hard to tell if they are trying to put one over on everyone. It leaves you at times scratching your head wondering if Jamie Kennedy is going to bust out of some side room with velour sweatsuit on. The set lasted for about 40 minutes and it seemed like everyone had enough about a half hour into the performance. So be warned all you quasi-jokester-white-boy-rap-duets that sing about genitalia. The half life for audience attention is 15 minutes. If you get thirty, be proud.
http://www.myspace.com/kingcrabbitches

Sikamor Rooney (Live at Asbury Lanes, NJ)

2007-06-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

Sikamor Rooney is one of those bands that has such an eclectic mash of personalities it could be destined to either blow up like a Molotov cocktail or be the type of concoction that makes you kinda drunk and want to get all sexy with a large woman. Thankfully they are the latter... but the chic is really hot... and you're not wasted you're high. They play upbeat tunes that are reminiscent of early... very early... Blur with a stripped down, back beat style, rhythm section. Bradley York plays catchy guitar and sings clever lyrics about girls, while Dave Rosen (Parlor Mob) accents the songs and plays guitar leads that make you kind of wonder what would happen if you spent less time looking at Internet porn.
http://www.myspace.com/sikamorrooney

Ana Lola Roman (live at Luna Lounge, Brooklyn NY)

2007-06-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

For me Ana Lola has been an enigma since she first appeared on myspace more than a year ago. I was originally drawn to her left of center approach to song writing and abstract lyrical style. Live, Ana Lola plays as a three piece. Her piano and vocals take the lead to a laid back rhythm section. This evening Ana sat at her piano and sang but the set still had theatrical feel to it. She defies comparison as a song writer but the songs are so unexpected, original, and have such a genuine quality that it is nearly impossible to look away while she is performing. You can find Ana Lola Roman's records on the Family Business which is a testament to her originality.
http://www.myspace.com/analolaroman

Glass Trees (Live at 58 Coles St., Jersey City NJ)

2007-06-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

Glass Trees is the brainchild of Shaun Towey. This evening I found him leaning against a lamp-post outside the gallery staring down the street with an introspective gaze. I would later realize this is the perfect metaphor for his approach towards music and his performance on stage. The show was so laid back and the band was so comfortable but all the while there was a subtle electricity from Towey's delivery. Once the audience connected with that undercurrent the entire room had his undivided attention. It was really uncanny and something really cool to have witnessed. The band was a surly crew of misfits that Towey must have handpicked. They fit the bill perfectly and brought real musicianship into the fold. For me the songs are somewhere between Wilco and Ween with moments of unique ingenuity that gives the music its own "thing". I imagine this is what Brian Wilson would have sounded like had he been raised in upstate NY instead of Hawthorne, CA.
http://www.myspace.com/glasstrees

Flat Marry Road (Live Manhattan Room, Philadelphia)

2007-06-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

It is usually a bad sign when you roll up to a club and one of the opening bands is scribbling their lyrics into a napkin on top of a pay-phone outside. But somehow this worked like magic for Flat Mary Road. They appeared to be a 5 or at times a 6 piece fronted by a spindly Steve Teare who's style on and off stage is reminiscent of Stuart Lupton pre-mental-breakdown. Papa's vocals are accented by Chrissy Doughty's harmonies which give the music an occasional airy quality that makes you want to smile. The set was sincere and at times endearingly shambolic which is to be expected from a new band. These guys were such a pleasant surprise and worked together so well I am sure shows 4 and 5 will be amazing... and shows 100 and 101 will be an unforgettable experience.
http://www.myspace.com/flatmaryroad

The Press (live at Lit Lounge, NYC)

2007-06-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

The Press are 4 of the most laid back unassuming guys you will ever meet. I had no clue any of them were in the band... that is until they hit the stage in leopard print tunics. Ok . ok. You might say to yourself? Gimmicks!! Maybe. maybe. But in this case it is pulled it off to perfection and seems completely at home with the music, which is so catchy and so original but at the same time so familiar. The music goes between novelette arctic monkey like verses that sing the kind of story you wind up humming in your head all day to four piece harmonies that are reminiscent of of something that might come from the Ace Fu catalog of bands. These guys have toured the US and Australia on their own and their live show echos it. The Press is truly a unique band that has managed to write anti-pop songs with a hauntingly familiar sound in that "I have never heard anything like this before... I think" way.
http://www.myspace.com/thepress

The Gay Blades (Live at the Manhattan Room, Philly, PA)

2007-06-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

These guys were on fire from the minute they showed up at the venue. Or at least when I got there 5 hours before they hit the stage. Puppy Mills pulverizes the drums while playing the straight man to front man Clark Westfield's manic fits. Fits that occasionally force the songs to a screeching halt so he can shine the spotlight on unsuspecting audience members. The Gay Blades are a two piece guitar rock outfit with a pop sensibility that has just enough of a fresh edge to let you feel like you are witnessing a huge huge secret. They have done what very few bands can. They have successfully married the vulnerability that indie rock had long ago with a current rock aesthetic. This is one of the best live shows this author has seen in a long time.
http://www.myspace.com/gayblades