One of my favorite bands in the world comes to L.A. this weekend for a pair of sure-to-be glorious shows at Spaceland. They’re up tonight and tomorrow in support of the psychedelic-tinged, altogether wondrous folk-pop record Bonfires on the Heath. I’ll be the guy buying every medium t-shirt on their merch table. (Photo by David Greenwald)
The Clientele – “Harvest Time”: mp3
Previously: First Look: The Clientele – Bonfires on the Heath
Gamble House’s gamble, of course, is whether or not people will notice that the indie-folk project is a dead ringer for the vocal strains and guitar style of Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen — or whether they’ll care. Decide for yourself at the group’s free Silverlake Lounge Monday night residency, which continues tonight, but “Central Park” is at least one worthwhile derivative. Live, the Ben Becker-fronted group goes electric (or at least they did last week, and to excellent effect) and will be playing to an audience of dozens rather than the Hollywood Palladium, which I’d say are two more checks in the “win” column.
Gamble House – “Central Park”: mp3
More: New Music | 2010 Album Release Calendar
We take it easy on the DJ updates here at The Rawking Refuses To Stop!, but tonight’s event is a can’t-miss — an open bar (first come, first served) at one of my favorite local haunts, Bar Lubitsch, with Luke Top of Fool’s Gold on the ones and twos. Also tonight: Arts & Crafts newcomers Still Life Still at the Troubadour, which I’ll be at myself. Choices!
Go Sailor may not have set the indie-pop world on fire the way some of Rose Melberg’s other projects (Tiger Trap, Rawkblog favorite-band-ever The Softies) did, but given that Rose has spent approximately an hour performing songs in Los Angeles in the last decade, all news is good news. The short-lived, Rose-fronted band — which obviously rules — is reuniting to play at Slumberland Records’ 20th anniversary shows in L.A. on March 28 and San Francisco on March 27. Joining them will be other reuniting ’90s luminaries Henry’s Dress, Boyracer and The How, as well as modern torch-bearers Pants Yell! and Devon Williams. Softies in 2011? A boy can dream. (Aside: Do we have the relative commercial success of Vivian Girls and Pains of Being Pure at Heart for all these reunions? Or is the timing just right? Happy as a cardigan-wearing clam either way.)
Go Sailor – “Last Night”: mp3
Previously: Live: Rose Melberg at the Echo Curio / Vacation Vinyl, 10.27.09 | All Rose Posts
Coachella 2010: Pavement! As expected and feverishly rooted for, the reunited indie-rock gods will be playing the festival on Sunday, with Gorillaz (really?) heading up that night and Jay-Z (yes!) and Muse (blech) headlining Friday and Saturday, respectively. There’s a number of winners in the lineup: Thom Yorke’s solo project (the best show of ‘09), Grizzly Bear, Phoenix and Dirty Projectors are the big ones, but also, Sly and the Family Stone, Yo La Tengo and Sunny Day Real Estate — all playing Sunday! Let’s just cross our fingers Pavement plays a secret show in L.A., My Bloody Valentine style, to make up for the lack of headliner status.
Coachella will be held from Friday, April 16, through Sunday, April 18. More updates to come in this space.
Previously: Coachella 2009: Saturday | Friday
Atlas Sound kicks off the Natural History Museum’s consistently great First Fridays concert series tonight. You’ll have to take your chances with drugs (dinosaur skeletons, man), but Bradford “Deerhunter” Cox’s fractured, top 10 of ‘09 space-folk should be epic either way.
Atlas Sound – “Walkabout”: mp3
More: L.A. Tour Dates
Top recs: Jon Brion tonight, as always; Fiery Furnaces (pictured; photo by David Greenwald) and their Radiohead-hating madness at the El Rey on Saturday; Monday, the Books are playing a pretty special gig at Hollywood Forever but I’ll be at the Happy Hollows residency to catch Real Estate. The full list for the next few days:
11/21 Saturday – Elefant w/ Division Day @ Troubadour AND Fiery Furnaces w/ Cryptacize, Dent May @ El Rey Theatre AND Holly Miranda opening for The xx, Friendly Fires @ Henry Fonda Theater
11/23 Monday – El Perro Del Mar @ The Hotel Cafe AND Happy Hollows w/ Real Estate (HH residency) @ Spaceland AND The Books @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery
The Fiery Furnaces – “I’m Going Away”: mp3
Bishop Allen brings its fey, Tony the Tiger indie-pop to the Echoplex tonight (in support of new album Grrr…) alongside less fey, equally reliable Amazon.com champs Throw Me The Statue. Eat a balanced breakfast before this one, folks.
Later this week: Sometimes-singer, mostly comedienne Charlyne Yi is at the UCB Theatre on Friday; the Mountain Goats and Final Fantasy (!) bring one of the fall’s strongest, most well-read double bills to the Henry Fonda on Sunday. (I’ll be kicking out the jams at both.)
