sean hood.your yellow dress.attic abasement. morgan's orange. hello shark. brit benjamin @ the carpentry 4.25.10

Sean Hood played first. He only played four songs, and I wished he had played more. I really like his finger picking melancholy folk songs. I hope to see him again.
Your Yellow Dress played second. they played mostly covers, and had a different lineup then I'm used to. The flute sounded really good. I liked their Smiths cover a lot.

Attic Abasement played third. He seemed too cool for this house show. Not in a bad way like he was a dick or anything because he wasn't, but just look how cool he looks. his music was good too. I really liked it.
Morgan's Orange was extremely entertaining. He was climbing all over the amps and the chairs. He talked a lot between songs, but I liked what he had to say. I wasn't really a fan of his music, but seeing him live was fun.
Hello Shark kind of blew me away. The carpentry is just so intimate of a setting for shows, and I'm really lucky to have been to many of them. Tonight though I got a glimpse of something special. Sometimes art finds you when you need it most, and that was hello sharks set for me.
Brit Benjamin played last. Her songs were pretty. She tried to play a Daniel Johnston cover, and that was cool.

I think this was the last show at the carpentry, and I'm really going to miss it. It has made my transition to Berkeley a very easy one. I thought it would be hard to leave L.A. and discover a local music scene all over again, but this just kind of fell in to my lap, and I'm really sad to see it go. I hope Alex finds a way to still throw house shows next year because places like this are really important for a lot of people.

lemuria sign to bridge 9 records

Lemuria announced today that they signed to bridge 9 records. they plan on recording their second full length album in july, and releasing it soon after. you can read the official press release here. congratulations guys!

the henry clay people announce summer tour

silversun pickups are taking against me! and the henry clay people on a little east coast tour. against me! is arguably one of my favorite bands, and the henry clay people are my favorite band, so to have them playing together is really awesome. i wish this was coming to the west coast so bad though because i would love to see that. the silversun pickups are also incredible as well. props to them for picking really good opening bands.

Les Blanks/Le Switch - Storefront Split 7 inch review

le switch's new song 'how we imagined it' feels a little different then their older catalogue of songs. it seems more upbeat, but lacks the trumpet and violin that maria use to provide. however, the piano seems to fill that void. so with that in mind, the new song almost seems like a natural progression for the band. i'm interested to see how the rest of their songs will sound when they put out their full length.

les blanks 'straw man' sounds exactly like what i thought the new batch of les blanks songs would sound like. it rocks. it builds off of their previous full length 'shoot the horse.' they have a new full length titled 'in country' coming out soon, and i hope the rest of the songs are as good as this.

these two bands make a lot of sense together, and both songs seem to really fit nicely. they are both piano driven rock n roll songs that make for a wonderful release. you can download the songs here. they are playing their record release show on april 30th at casey's in los angeles.

Cold War Kids @ U.C. Berkeley 4.17.10

"i know you all skipped coachella to be here," joked nathan willett. he didn't say much, but when he did i listened. it's strange how much stage presence that band has. even in the most awkward of stage settings like the steps of a library during the middle of the day, the cold war kids hold their own. they played all of their hit songs starting with 'i've seen enough.' however, it's always nice to see which of their lesser known tunes they choose to play. 'mexican dogs' was especially good that afternoon, as was 'dreams old men dream'. the thing i love about this band is that they don't play their songs live exactly like the recordings, and they're not afraid to mess them up a little bit. yesterday for an hour the cold war kids really did make me believe i skipped coachella to be there, and i wouldn't have had it any other way.

Record Store Day

today is the third annual record store day. the first year i got to see limbeck and the silversun pickups play acoustic for free at fingerprints in longbeach. last year i saw the crystal anlters play fingerprints, and then roman candles had a show at pehrspace for elaine layabout's hella hipster hoedown with leslie and the badgers, mississippi man and the cobra lillies. this year also happens to be cal day, and cold war kids are playing on the steps of doe library at four o'clock. that should be a lot of fun.

i picked up a few things at amoeba today.

first i got a split 8" with andrew jackson jihad and mischeif brew. they each play acoustic and electric versions of each of their songs.

i also picked up a copy of best coast's ppm 7".

beautiful losers::film review

never has a film left me feelings so inspired. a documentary on d.i.y. art directed by aaron rose and and joshua leonard in 2007, the film focuses on a collective of artists including shepard fairey, ed templeton, harmony korine, and margaret kilgallen among others. based around the outcast subcultures of graffiti and skateboarding, the film dives into the minds of artists that sparked an underground movement. through eighty-nine minutes of interviews, the film captures what it is about street art that has left a profound impact in the minds of kids. with that impact, the film shows how these forms of art have transcended into the mainstream creating a medium for losers and junkies alike. one of the best documentaries made in years. be sure to catch this inspirational film.

i liked this

i can relate to being young and intimidated at record stores.

also coachella is this weekend. i won't be going. but i read this article: 10 moments that defined coachella. it's nice to know if i was there for any of them it was number one.

“you haven’t lived until you’ve yelled, ‘Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me,’ pumping fists with 60,000 sunburned kids in the desert.”

our noise: the story of merge records

I just found out about this book. it's about the story of merge obviously. the website is really cool, and has awesome superchunk videos i haven't seen before. i would recommend exploring the merge timeline. The book was written by Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance who both play in superchunk and started merge together, as well as John Cook - a devoted superchunk fan since 1994.

i'll be picking up a copy of this as soon as i can, but for now the website is pretty cool. take a look around. i think you can grab a copy from amazon for like $12 or something really cheap.

joyce manor - constant headache :: review

the second show roman candles ever played was with joyce manor at the echo curio. they were still playing acoustic then, and it was just barry and chase on acoustic guitars. i saw them a few more times, and played a couple more shows with them. right before i left for school they started playing electric, and i still haven't had a chance to see them since they made the switch. although i liked there older recordings, nothing really did them justice.

'constant headache' feels like joyce manor's first attempt to showcase their talent. with five songs under ten minutes the e.p. grabs your attention right from the start, squeezes hard, and doesn't let go. 'five beer plan' gives the listener a little breathing room in the middle of the e.p. with a slow bass line before picking back up and ending strong with 'leather jacket,' which happens to be my favorite song on the album. this is really solid pop-punk. it's got all the hooks in all the right places, and enough catchy phrases to bare repeating. i dare you to listen to this only one time: it's impossible.

the band has plans to release this on a 7", but for now you can download it here. make sure to donate . . . the more money we toss their way the sooner they'll have money to record a full length.

rating 5/5

good luck - demonstration 2010 :: record review

good luck follow up their full length debut with four song e.p. the dueling male/female vocals have a strong effect on me. the drums and bass are really heavy, and the guitar shines bright. the bloomington, indiana trio sing tales of love and heartbreak while keeping all of the melody and cutting out any cheesy connotations pop punk has rendered in the past. this is as close to perfect as pop punk comes. it's scary how good they pull it off. demonstration 2010 is a bit of tease though coming in at a little over thirteen minutes it leaves you wanting a new full length immediately. you can download the e.p. here. rating: 4/4

React Records Showcase @ Gilman 4/10/10

some of the kids at this show were really fucking rude. bands affiliated with react records preach in between almost every song. they talk about being vegan, being straight edge, and keeping the scene alive. numerous times, while these preachings were taking place, kids would scream, "shut the fuck up and play some music," which i can understand, but i also think that if all you came to hear was the music then why didn't you just listen to their albums in your room. why did you come to the show at all? but with that said there was also a lot of really cool people there as well. it was nice to see hardcore kids and punk kids dancing together. it was nice to know there were eight bands that played and not one fight broke out. i'm glad gilman exists. i'm glad hardcore exists. and i'm glad seven seconds is still playing thirty years after they started.

not sorry played first. they were okay. didn't really stand out.

praise played second. the lead singer was definitely the happiest frontman i saw all day.

nails played third. they were a three piece hardcore band. the only band that day without a "front man." the had a lead singer, but he played guitar as well. it was a nice change of pace.

keep it clear are from vancouver, canada. the lead singer was funny and made a lot of jokes. i liked them.

common cause are from norway. it was nice to see how welcoming the kids made this band feel.

on was the first band that actually stood out. they were really solid hardcore. i really liked them.

mindset was awesome. their leadsinger was really intimidating. he looked like an ex marine. this band was completely captivating. i really enjoyed their set.

7 seconds hasn't played 924 gliman st. in twenty-three years, but kevin said, "it's nice to be back." i think a lot of punks were disappointed that there wasn't a circle pit. but this wasn't a punk show it was a hardcore show so be respectful: stage dive and have fun. after the first few songs everyone seemed to do exactly that. it was fun. they played a great set. all the hits. they ended with rock together. i hope they play for another thirty years.

i rode the bus back with this kid max from germany. he is in this really cool band called the booze brothers. you should check them out. they're really good.

the splinters - kick :: record review

the splinters "kick" came out a month ago on double negative records. different songs on the album take turns getting stuck in my head on a daily basis. call it '60 girl revival, riot grrrl, or just plain garage rock . . . it doesn't matter because at the end of the day this album jams. twelve tracks coming in at just over twenty-five minutes makes for a quick but enjoyable listen. it'll have you singing along after the first spin. this is arguably the best record to come out of the east bay so far this year. highly recommended.

signals - "what dreams" video

the mae shi put out one of my favorite records of 2008.

when they split up i was really bumbed.

so when signals started i didn't really know what to think.

i still haven't seen them play live yet but i really like their new

video for "what dreams"

No Bunny's 9th Annual Easter Egg Bash 4.4.10

no bunny celebrated their 9th annual easter egg bash at the new parish in oakland.

sir lord von raven played first. musically they were pretty good, and i can understand why people might like them, but they didn't move at all on stage. they were pretty boring.

the splinters played second. they had a different drummer this time. they were solid, i like them more every time i see them. i think my favorite song by them is currently 'mysterious'.

the rantouls played next. they have this really poppy bubblegum sound, and i really liked them. i just wish they didn't have to dress up to "sell their image." that kind of shit bugs me.

the mayyors followed them. according to one of the splinters they don't have a myspace and only play like once or twice a year. in my notes i have "probably the coolest most rockin' band ever." to expand on that, their lead singer was one of the most engaging frontmen i've ever seen. they're guitarist was metal as fuck and had the dumbest but most badass metal stance while he played guitar and the bass player kept rolling around on the ground. it was awesome they should have headlined. they stole the show. i wish they played longer, but they took too much time setting up. this band is a highly recommended live experience.

the band that i really went for was the bananas. the lead singer was hammared, and i'm not sure what was funnier to watch: him or the look of confusion on the bouncers face for the entirety of their set. they were great though: everything i love about pop punk. i wish they played more often. plus i have a crush on their bass player. a great set from a great band.

no bunny headlined their birthday party/anniversary celebrating nine years of playing music. the first time i saw them i was probably the drunkest i've ever been, and don't really remember their set besides the fact that i loved them. the second time i saw them they played acoustic at gilman and really disappointed me. last night i saw them sober, and for the first time i feel like i can give an honest assessment of them as a live band. with that: they are everything rock and roll should be. they are a little mysterious, they are engaging, they are rockstars. i'm a huge fan, and would love to see them again and again. they put on a kickass show . . . i can't wait for next year.

gkfoes vjgoaf, moses campbell @ the carpentry 4.3.10

i saw gkfoes vjgoaf again at the carpentry. he is really good at what he does, i really like his songs, but his set was pretty similar to the last time i saw him.

moses campbell was good, but they didn't have a p.a. to play through; they were just playing through amps, so it didn't sound too good, but i still enjoyed myself. i really like their band, and i'm excited to see them again.

i played accordion for your yellow dress, it was fun. we didn't practice at all, and we played with a different drummer today named jake, and our friend andrew played guitar, and didn't know a few of the songs, but it worked out fine. it was a lot of fun.

the happy hollows:: big bad wolf video

the happy hollows 'big bad wolf' video

directed by Ryan Reichenfeld

after watching the video i'm not really sure why this song did not make it onto their debut full length 'spells' but regardless the video rocks.