LA / LBC / OC
Long Beach’s Magic Lantern have finally gone and released a new sonic document after what seemed like an eternity of waiting. Eagerly anticipated by those who have been biding their time waiting for the band to get on with their uber limited cassette only and CD-R releases (their Self-Titled CD-R was limited to 30), “High Beams”, the band’s latest opus [...]
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Amazing Reverb Engine hail from the Pomona, my former adopted home for five years while in college, a once small and charming city of the 50’s tucked next to Claremont, that is now a smoggy bed of poverty and abandoned dreams. Okay, maybe it’s not that bad, but let’s just say the city has seen better days.
Amazing Reverb Engine are just a year old and as Dave Segal points out (you just knew Dave was going to write about A.R.E.) “wear their influences pretty obviously on their sleeves”, which for such a young band is common place. But A.R.E. are able to escape such trappings of other young bands that channel My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Sonic Youth, and Slowdrive, by staying true to the format and producing (so far) a scrappy bedroom recorded demo that’s reminiscent of the aforementioned bands early recordings in both sound and technical prowess.
Check out “Want To Tell You” (mp3) from Amazing Reverb Engine’s 3 song demo.
[audio:are_wanttotellyou.mp3]
Amazing Reverb Engine play The Prospector (2400 E. Seventh St.) in Long Beach tonight with Sky Parade and Shields | 9pm | 21+ | $5
DukeSpirit6 Originally uploaded by JeremyRyan
Scott and I just barely made it in time to The Echo the other night to see The Duke Spirit who were kicking their set off with “I Do Believe” the hymn sounding intro to their new album Neptune, when we walked in the door. The Echo was completely stuffed for the Brits who were in town for a KCRW performance before heading to Austin for SXSW next week. It was shoulder-to-should with smelly east side hipsters, old men (must be a British thing or the KCRW appearance), and Noel and Liam Gallagher (Scott saw them near the bar, big surprise).
They played pretty much everything from Neptune, and completely nailed all of it. Epic set….’nuff said.
Check out “Lassoo” (mp3) via KEXP’s Song Of The Day archive.
[audio:http://www.digitalwell.washington.edu/dw/1/51/80/800e8b0d-1e7b-4ae8-9d28-c4d0fa9bbc05.mp3]
I caught Paperplanes set at the Puka Bar the other week based on the all the digital ink that had been spilled across the pages of other local Long Beach scribes’ canvases (District Weekly, Surfing On Steam, and Ground Control) who were all positively giddy for the band’s new release, Rhinestone Republic. Even though I wasn’t familiar will the Planes songs, it didn’t stop me, and everyone else around me (who I think were there for Transfer) for that matter, from throughly enjoying ourselves. There’s something about country music where don’t have to have heard a song to know it already. Joining Paperplanes on stage that night was the local ringer, Jeremy Long (Boss Hog and Road Kill Kings), who turned the 4-piece Planes into a supercharged 5-piece. With the addition of Long for the night, all the county and honky tonkiness of the Planes songs was cranked to eleven (for lack of the better phrase).
Paperplanes’ play Alex’s Bar tonight (3/6) with Crystal Antlers and Sonadora (couple of dudes who used be in dios(malos)) in celebration of the return of the Crystal Antlers stolen van.
Check out “Don’t Make A Sound” (mp3)
[audio:paperplanes_dontmakeasound.mp3]
and “Honky Tonk” (mp3) from Paperplanes new album, Rhinestone Republic.
[audio:paperplanes_honkytonk.mp3]
Rhinestone Republic is only available at Paperplanes shows at the moment, pick one up tonight.
more photos here
I was up in the Bay Area over the weekend and was able to see Monotonix at The Stork Club in Oakland on the random off chance that our paths crossed. This was my third time seeing the band and first time with a packed room that was going completely ape shit for them (1st time was sxsw last year - full room, typical industry vibe, 2nd time was at The Smell last fall which was slightly under attended).
Monotonix play Los Angeles at The Smell again this Thursday (3/6) with Anavan, and hopefully the buzz the band has been creating with their live show since this same time last year will have the place completely filled to capacity.
Drag City is set to release Monotonix’s debut US release, Body Language on April 22nd. The six song Tim Green produced EP contains five re-recorded tracks from the band’s self-titled self-released only-available-on-tour mini-LP from last year as well as a brand new song called “On The Road”.
Download the new version of “Body Language” (mp3) from the new EP of the same name out next month.
[audio:http://audio.sxsw.com/2008/mp3/Monotonix-Body_Language.mp3]
Bonus download - the old version of “Summers and Autumns” (mp3) from the band’s old self-titled self-released mini-LP.
[audio:http://audio.sxsw.com/2007/mp3/Monotonix-Summers_and_Autumns.mp3]
SUNDAYS:
Alex and Sam (pictured) @ Tangier
MONDAYS:
The Chaplin Sisters @ The Echo
Reeve Oliver @ Detroit Bar
Juggle @ Mr. T’s Bowl
The Amazements @ Pehrspace
Warpaint @ Bordello
Voxhaul Broadcast @ Spaceland
TUESDAYS:
Reeve Oliver @ The Key Club
WEDNESDAYS:
Test Your Reflex @ Hotel Cafe
Shapes Of Race Cars @ Club Moscow at Boardnes
THURSDAYS:
theSTART @ Crash Mansion
FRIDAYS:
Tyrone Wells @ Hotel Cafe
