It's Fair Season

Fair. (WIKIPEDIA)

NXNE SHOWS: CROCODILES, DIRTY BEACHES

JUNE 16th 2011
SOLID GOLD presents
NXNE @ The Silver Dollars

CROCODILES
DIRTY BEACHES
CHAINS OF LOVE
sport
elvyn
purple hill
mittens

  YOU KNOW WHAT THIS SHOW NEEDS?  MORE BANDS!!!

ON REPEAT COLD SHOWERS///PLATEAUS/// AND CRYSTAL STILTS\\\

Cold Showers - "I Don't Mind" from Mexican Summer on Vimeo.


  LETS SEE THAT COLD SHOWERS VIDEO AGAIN. AGAIN.  Seriously, I've watched this video a dozen times this week.



  PLATEAUS SUZY VIDEO SET THE WORLD ON FIRE.



  CRYSTAL STILTS SYCAMORE TREE BACK AND FORTH FOREVER AND EVER.

Show Review: Young Prisms, Cold Showers @ Tower Bar

Young Prisms
Cold Showers
Tower Bar San Diego CA.
6/3/11

     I hadn't been to the Tower Bar since the late summer of 2009, I don't even remember who was playing that night, only that I gave Dee Dee from the Dum Dum Girls a lift so she could interview Nate from Wavves.  Amazing enough, that was BEFORE things really started to happen.  I def. associate Tower Bar with a simpler time, an association helped by the 12+ months when Tower wasn't doing shows.  Back then, Tower was a scene type bar first, a venue second- I have multiple distinct memories of hearing all my favorite local bands sound terrible at Tower between 2006 and 2008.  I am pleased to report that both bands sounded GREAT, and given the lengthy lay off I have to assume that some money went to upgrading the sound system- if that is the case- mission accomplished.

      I believe it to be a principle that a band can go from nothing to viability simply by successfully drawing roughly 50 people to a show in 10-20 different markets.  It's not that achieving this goal is an instant formula for success, rather that if a band can accomplish this goal, it is conclusive proof that they are on the "road to success."  A big part of achieving this goal is being able to first draw the right 10-20 people for a specific market.  People like: indie show promoters, touring musicians who live in the area, and, of course, prominent local music writers/journalist.  These are the people who can get you from 10-20 to 50-100.

   It's important that young bands measure live show success first by QUALITY of attendees, and only later by QUANTITY.  Eventually, quantity is what matters, but in the beginning, quality is a better marker of progress.  An oft overlooked benefit to shows with attendance less then 50 (or 20) is to facilitate comraderie and "esprit de corps" between different artists.

   The essential conflict facing any DIY musical act is that the taste of those first 50 people in any specific market is markedly different then the taste of the 500th person who might come to their show.  If you lose the first 50 without gaining that 500th audience member, you have a failed project.  If you gain the 500th audience member and lose the first 50 you are a "sell-out."  Keeping the first 50 while getting the 500th requires time, discipline and hard work, and is subject to the capricious whim of people like bloggers, super-fans and bbs posters.

  Both Young Prisms and Cold Showers are bands that already have the right audience, but it's clear that they need more people to have heard their songs before they are drawing 200 to 300 at a venue like the Casbah.
Cold Showers is a four piece with a singing (male) bassist, Jessica Clavin, a guy playing a KORG mixed loudly into the sound and capable, non ostentatious indie style drumming.  It's a potent, heady mix of atmosphere, wry song writing and la inspired diy style.  Really, the only question I had as I watched Cold Showers was, "Damn I wonder if Mexican Summer has them signed for a full length."


Cold Showers - "I Don't Mind" from Mexican Summer on Vimeo.


  Great song. I'm a believer. Just bought the record from Mexican Summer etc.  Get out and wave the flag for Cold Showers.

 Between bands I had separate conversations with members of the Crocodiles and the Dum Dum Girls abut how great the new Crystal Stilts record is. BUY THAT SHIT ON ITUNES.

   Young Prisms just finished recording in San Diego for their upcoming JAMZ on Art Fag Recordings.  They sounded drum tight- like marching band tight.  One of the things I noticed about them this time is that their guitarist has a suit case full of pedals.  I call that... ambition.  Regardless of the output, it shows competence at operating the machinery of pop music.  Which is not to detract from the strength of the songs themselves, or the dextrous manner in which the various components intertwine over the length of the full set.  And for the record, the singer is Stef Hodapp.

  I think probably their initial break through is likely to come on the strength of the first song from their next record- a breakthrough to get people out to see them on their next time through town.  The element of having Stef singing wordless vocals over swirling shoegaze guitars is something that can carry an album or live show, but not something that writers and hype machine fans will dig- you want something that emphasizes song writing over atmosphere/mood.  My take is that they are on the cusp of viability but they need a straight forward release/tour schedule to develop the necessary audience size.

PLATEAUS SUZY VIDEO

PLATEAUS BEACH COMA FOR SALE ON AMAZON