Inflight At Night

I’m not one much for lists, it’s lazy journalism (Blender Magazine, I’m looking at you), but since ’tis the season for end of the year lists for songs and albums, here ya go. Honestly don’t think I could quantify my appreciation for a work of art by giving it a numerical value, so below are the albums that found myself I listening to over and over again. I covered every band below on IAF at one time or another, except for Crash Gallery who have yet to leave Austin, TX.

Oh, and these are in no particular order.

The Hold Steady “Boys and Girls in America” | Chips Ahoy (mp3) | Website

Comets On Fire “Avatar” | Dogwood Rust (mp3) | Website

Crash Gallery “5 Song EP” | What A Temper (mp3) | MySpace

The Marked Men “Fix My Brain” | A Little Time (mp3) | Website

The Love Me Nots “In Black and White” | Move In Tight (mp3) | MySpace

Vaux “Beyond Virtue, Beyond Vice” | Never Better (mp3) | Website

I’m pretty sure that my list differs greatly from most, and I’d say that the only thing I agree on with most of mp3 blogger community is that The Hold Steady made one kick ass album, though Duke doesn’t agree there, make sure you check out his list of Top 10 Hipster/Music Snob Records that Didn’t Resonate With Me in the Year 2006, it’s great.

Not one to talk shit on here, but Muse’s “Black Holes and Revelations” was the biggest piece of shit disappointment of the year. God it’s horrible, I can’t even listen to one song on there, especially that one that is all over the radio, Knights Of Cydonia.

Caught Against Me! at the Key Club last night for the Wheels For Humanity benefit show, it was the first time I had ever seen them, and they definitely lived up to the praise that friends have been giving them for quite some time now. Watching guitarist/singer Tom Gabel last night, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to Joe Strummer and Billy Bragg. Lofty comparisons, I know, but they ring true. This is a man that has something to say, his performance is passionate, from the gut, and you can’t help but be drawn into the band’s music.

The band is in Los Angeles recording their major label debut for Sire Records with Butch Vig. Their current release out right now is a live album called, “Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live in London!!!”, which you can download two tracks from courtesy of Fat Wreck Chords.

Sink, Florida, Sink (mp3)

Pints of Guinness Make You Strong (mp3)

In a perfect world I will be able to get off work at decent hour tonight, hit Best Buy with the girl for some Christmas shopping, cruise by Fingerprints to catch an acoustic set by Silversun Pickups and then continue on my way up to the Echo to catch The Parson Red Heads. It’s gonna be tough, especially since Sleeper Cell is new every night this week.

Riding high from a year that has seen Silversun Pickups rocket past being a local darling to a gaining tons of national attention and showing no signs of slowing down in ‘07. Catch Silversun Pickups as we near the end of the year and before they close it all out with back-to-back shows at the Troubadour this weekend. This in-store started off as a solo acoustic set from singer Brian Aubert, but is looking like it will be a full band deal. It all goes down at 7pm tonight, I recommend getting there early, as I drive past these instore events all the time and there is usually a line around the block.

Tonight is also my pick of the best night to catch The Parson Red Heads at their Echo residency, as they will be accompanied by two other great Los Angeles up and comers, The Airborne Toxic Event and I Make This Sound. Should be a great night.

I was intially turned onto The Airborne Toxic Event by either Radio Free Silver Lake or LA Underground, I don’t remember and it’s not important, what is important though is The Airborne Toxic Event is playing at the Echo this coming Monday with The Parson Red Heads on their free residency night.

Detecting influences from The Smiths and The Cure that give the band a UK feel mixed with Modest Mouse that give them a California shine, The Airborne Toxic Event write tight little pop numbers with nods to the literary and cinematic worlds that inspire them.

Together for less than a year The Airborne Toxic Event have only just begun playing live, though the shows they’ve secured already make you wonder just who they know. Their first show was at the Echo, followed by a trip to New York for CMJ, and back in California at Spaceland and an instore at Sea Level. Regardless, reviews of their live show have been stellar so far, those who have seen it find it hard to believe they are a new band.

The Girls in Their Summer Dresses (mp3)

Does This Mean You’re Moving On (mp3)

Download two more tracks from their MySpace page.

Odds are you have already read something about Matt & Kim today, and as much as I hate to write posts on bands that are already being extensively covered on other blogs, I have to express my dismay in having to miss Matt & Kim’s show in Los Angeles this Saturday (12/9) as it is the same night as my company Christmas party.

And as I’m sure you who is reading is just as busy as I am, but if for some miraculous reason you do not have plans yet for this Saturday, I highly recommend heading downtown to witness and take part in a Matt & Kim show. One look at their photos from their NYC shows and their music videos, it is easy see to energy and shear enjoyment on the band and the audience’s faces as they perform.

Yea Yeah (mp3)

No More Long Years (mp3)

Matt & Kim play @ 1269 E. 6th St. (Downtown), the show is all ages and begins at 9pm with a $3 suggest donation at the door for the bands. If you are tired of seeing LA shows with a crowd of crossed arms hipsters and annoying chatty chicks who can’t shut up during a band’s performance, GO TO THIS SHOW!