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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I must have missed the memo when this new Bronx track was released online in June in conjunction with the band’s stint on this past summer’s Warped Tour, no doubt because after spending one too many of the my summers on that tour, my brain automatically filters out anything that has the words warped and tour positioned next to each other. But now with the news that a release date for the Bronx’s third self-titled album has been set - November 11th - I am finding myself jamming out to “Knifeman”.
MP3: The Bronx - Knifeman
Though the band has always down played their signing to Island/Def Jam, I still believe it to be one of the better Rock N’ Roll swindles. Band plays a couple of shows, signs to major for a $150,000 (a tidy sum, but still a small amount when you think about what the majors were still handing out back then), negotiates the release of their debut on their own newly formed label (White Drugs), tours and builds a fan base, releases major label debut that results in poor sales (in terms of major label expectations), band uses major’s money to build own recording studio (someone correct me if I am wrong as to which label’s money it was), band parts ways with major, band goes back to self releasing their own albums.
Fucking awesome.
And though I’m sure it was more complicated than this, it seems like the band was able to pinch a few pennies from the bank of IDJ, build a solid infrastructure and fan base all the while minimizing their dealings with the major, and when IDJ finally realized they don’t know what to do with rock bands (especially one of the Bronx’s nature), the band are now set to do it on their own in an environment that is much friendly and lucrative to artists self-releasing.
Doods should give Topspin a call pronto!
8pm sharp @ Dock 7
MP3: The Sess - Don’t Look Back (a hyperactive cover the The Remains classic)
What I said about The Sess last time I wrote about them:
I have been enjoying The Sess‘ debut full length, Agendumb out now on Single Screen Records, all week. Agendumb is raw and crunchy and you get the feeling while listening to it that the band may at any moment lose it, of which my limited imagination can only marginally visualize as: like watching two cars narrowly avoid a head on collision.
In town for F Yeah Fest this past weekend, NYC’s Children hit up La Cita tonight with The High Saints and GREEN and WOOD. Adam from Early Man hits the skins and Jonny from S.T.R.E.E.T.S plays guitar in this 3-piece guitar-guitar-drums thrash trio, and anyone who is familiar with these aforementioned bands should kind of know what they are in for.
Children have a 12″ single out on Kemado Records featuring the 10+ minute song “Death Tribe” on side A and etched B side. I have a copy of it at my office, and while parts of it are good, I can only say that I am really only into, oh let’s say 40% of the song. In my opinion with the lack of a bass player and Skyler Spohn’s vocal stylings, it comes off feeling incomplete. The ideas and the riffs are there, but the execution isn’t.
Regardless, like Cheeseburger a couple weeks before them, Children are in Los Angeles for a very brief period and anyone who is mildly interested what these guys have to offer live, should get on down to La Cita tonight for a semi-rare West Coast appearance.
So the few of you who read this may have noticed I have been on a bit of a “blogcation” (if the local news can call a daytrip a “staycation” - which I’m sick of hearing and am glad summer is almost over and I won’t have to hear that stupid word so much - I can call my hiatus a “blogcation”), as I have been doing my best to stay off my computer in the evenings and on the weekends.
But the recent news of Magic Lantern getting ready to release a new LP, High Beams, at the end of the month as well as reissuing their self-titled CD-R on vinyl, has awakened me from my blogging slumber. High Beams is at the plant being pressed/assembled as I type and will be available from Not Not Fun any day now. And Magic Lantern’s spectacular self-titled CD-R is getting the wax treatment as well and will be available from Woodsist Records in a month or two.
Given Magic Lantern’s erratic release history on varied formats, it can be difficult for the casual web surfer to get a chance to discover this band (hell, to date their discography consists of an out-of-print CD-R and cassette). Which is why I present to you dear readers, two Magic Lantern MP3s to whet your vinyl loving appetites, ’cause I know most of you need a little push to click that “add to cart” button.
MP3: Magic Lantern - Feasting On Energy from the forthcoming LP High Beams
MP3: Magic Lantern - At The Mountains Of Madness from the forthcoming self-titled LP reissue
And if you find yourself digging Magic Lantern, check out guitarist/vocalist, Cameron Stallones’ solo project Sun Araw, who has two new pieces of vinyl out now, Beach Head and Boat Trip.
I already picked up Embrace on iTunes last week and have been enjoying the hell out of it. Now Sleepy Sun have gone and given the album away for free via their website, which in turn leaves no excuse for those of you reading this not to check them out.
