Collected Show Reviews: 2010-2012

Collected Show Reviews: 2010-2012

Show Review:  Heavy Hawaii & Nude Boy @ The Casbah (1/21/10)

Nude Boy:  New band features Melissa and Derek from the Atoms as well as Kristl and Jojo.  Conventional rock set up:  Melissa on drums, Derek on guitar, Kristl on bass and Jojo also on guitar.  All four band members sing- Melissa and Kristl tend to toss voxs back and forth, whereas Derek sings separately. Myspace lists a split 7" w/ Heavy Hawaii on Single Screen Records.  2011?


Heavy Hawaii:  Def. some melodies and I thought the song writing was different, interesting and catchy.  Can't wait to hear how they clean up in the studio!  Good band...fun.

Show Review:  Beaters, Moving Units @ The Casbah (2/28/10)

 The Beaters played at the Casbah last night.  During their set, I was thinking about the Soft Pack nee Muslims, and what it was like to see that band play it's very first show, watching them play their fifth show, their 10th show, and seeing them move on.  I was also thinking about the Sess.  I think my first blog post was a review of a Sess show at a house party in City Heights in early 2006. (BAM)

   So what can you say: I felt old.

   You can call me "Grandpa" or "Gramps" if you are going to shorten it.  Someone pointed out (actually at least 3 separate people) the presence of Felicia Canales.  She is known for her defunct-for-now sdgossipscene.com. She has moved to twitter.  She has been written about in the Reader and City Beat

    I learned about sdgossipscene a minute ago.  Not a fan, but you know- I appreciate the effort.  Same way I appreciated  SD Fucko when that was going on.  I like her twitter fight with Josh Damigo.  Kids!

  Here is the bit.  I was standing there with a friend who knows her and he says to her, "Do you know who this is?" and she looks at me and says, "No I don't know you- are you sdfucko.com?" My three og readers understand how hilarious that line is.

   The Beaters were great- they are rounding into form.  I except them to sell some records on their tour with the Soft Pack.  I think they are a good opening band for alot of popular indie acts.  I wonder if they will be able to tour full time if they had the chance and I think...not.  We'll see.

  The Moving Units.  Ohhhhh.... the Moving Units.  A lot of people were there.  12 dollar cover. Place was packed.  And... that's it.

   And as far as scene gossip stuff goes.  I regret my involvement in that in the past.  The fact is... the internet is def. all about gossip, and there is a lot of interest, page views, traffic, etc.  But, in the end, the readers are using the blogger to be, in a sense, bad people.  Malicious people.  And while it's fun to be bad, in the end... everyone gets tired of it.  Then what are you left with.  Nothing.

  Personally, I wish music bloggers like Brooklyn Vegan would take some fucking responsibility for the sexist and racist comments that occur on their blogs.  Free speech is great, but a music blog isn't exactly War and Peace,  ya dig?  Bloggers of all shades and stripes need to own up to the fact the rumor mongering is the quickest way to go from "nobody cares" to "people read my blog"

      Whether it's Felicia herself or The Reader's exceable Blurt or City Beat's more tolerable whatever they call it. Or whether it's Brooklyn Vegan commenter, Perez Hilton, D-Listed or any of the other straight celebrity gossip blogs.  I'm not trying to single anyone out.  It's all gross, it's all stupid, and the fact that it is in some way co-terminus with local music speaks poorly to everyone involved.

     What does it build to?  A career talking shit about people or trashing artists?  Is that the goal? Sad.

Show Review: Tearist, BLOUSE & DIVERS @ SODA BAR SAN DIEGO CA (1/21/12)

SHOW REVIEW
Tearist
BLOUSE
DIVERS
DJ MARIO ORDONTNO
Soda Bar, San Diego, CA.


  Last time I went to show was in October of last year, so you can call me "gramps."  Despite my time away, I was pleased to see that nothing has changed since last I checked.  Soda Bar still has those amazing televisions that show a feed of the performer on stage- what a great feature- the old 930 Club in Washington DC used to have those so you could sit in the back room and watch the band play.

  I got there earlyish specifically to see DIVERS and QUITE ENJOYED IT.  But I think I have a conflict of interest because I'm aware of some planning regarding the release of recordings by that Artist- so I figure I should keep my mouth shut- but promising.

  BLOUSE put out a 7" on Sub Pop and THEN an LP on Captured Tracks, which would seem to invert the usual direction of that situation.  BLOUSE is a Portland Ore by-way-of-LA four piece, female fronted gothy pop with a synth/bass interplay that reminds the listener of mid period Cure radio hits.  Putatively the opener for Tearist, you could argue that they were the co-headliner, as the crowd was heavy for their set, and they inspired fan style antics from the front row (observed via the Soda Bar stage feed.

  I'm curious to hear how it came to pass that Sub Pop released a 7" and then Captured Tracks got the subsequent LP- maybe the LP was planned before the 7" and the next LP is on Sub Pop?  Wouldn't surprise me- assuming they keep a steady tour schedule that have viability tattooed on their arms.

   Headliner Tearist first came to my attention last April when I was in Los Angeles for his sold-out show at the Echo.  I was sitting there and I saw a copy of the LA Weekly- it had Tearist on the cover.  Ever since then I've called Tearist the Nickie Minaj of the LA indie scene- although only to myself, obviously- until just now.

   Tearist is a two piece- guy running the keyboard array and female singer vamping/singing/howling.  You would have to be pretty damn dense not to realize that the female singer/guy on keyboards two piece is ripe for a break out act- and may even have one in GRIMES or Nite Jewel by mid 2012.  There's also Maria Minerva, US GIRLS,  Class Actress I think- I haven't heard.  But my sense is that one or two of those Artists will actually really emerge when they combine a breakout hit with a committed touring schedule- and so far none of those Artists have done that.

   Speaking as someone who's seen GRIMES and Nite Jewel in the last six months, TEARIST has an advantage in the area of live performance, in that she performs and doesn't just stand there.  There are also more vocal effects- which could either be a positive or negative in terms of Audience reaction.  Tearist has also developed legitimate street level buzz in Los Angeles- I see both Nite Jewel and Grimes as being national, rather then local phenomenon's.

  Personally though, I preferred the gothy bottom heavy pop of BLOUSE, but I can totally understand why people are excited about Tearist.  It's a good live show- check it out if you get a chance.  By the BLOUSE lp on Captured Tracks, will you- It got a 7.4 on Pitchfork- that's high enough to warrant purchase.

Show Review: DUNES & Neverever @ The Ace Hotel, Palm Springs (2/11/12)

Show Review
DUNES
Neverever
@ The Ace Hotel: "THE AMIGO ROOM" Palm Springs CA.
February 11th, 2012

  I FINALLY made it to a show at the Ace Hotel's live music venue "THE AMIGO ROOM" eight months after buying a house two blocks away.  It's funny, because proximity to the Ace is one of the attributes I tout to my friends, but I couldn't actually be bothered to go check it out for a show for the better part of a year.

  What got me out to this particular show was a combination of having friends in town and a Facebook recommendation by Sam Time of Family Time Records.  He works in the Palm Springs area.  He tagged me in a Facebook post about the event, and then I told my friends who were in town, and they were like, "Cool."

  THE AMIGO ROOM is an odd little venue with pluses and minuses.  Major pluses are the fact that shows are always free, that the crowd watching is always superior and that you can go outside and hang out on the smoking patio- if you are bored/don't like the band.  Outside, you can barely hear the band.  Minuses are- the great crowd watching makes for an indifferent to shitty crowd for the band playing, the lay out of the Amigo Room means that people are always walking through while the band is playing, and drinks are pretty expensive.

  Originally, I thought  the line up was Neverever, Dunes and Abe Vigoda, but now I realize that Abe Vigoda is playing the second night of a two night package for Dunes- or something- I can't really figure it out.

   I got there at 10 PM, Neverever(FACEBOOK) (TUMBLR)took the stage at 11.  I realize now that I saw them open for Dirty Beaches on April 28th, 2011 at the Echo, but did not mention them in my show review.  Having now seen them live for a second time, I feel safe in observing that my personal enthusiasm for them is limited by the fact that their song writing is too 60s influenced, and when I say 60s influenced, I'm talking about it in the context of the narrow continuum between 60s influenced songwriting vs. c86/shoegaze influenced songwriting that seems to encompass A LOT of bands that I either write about or don't write about and keep up on in my own time.  If actual members or die-hard fans of Neverever are reading this, that is not an insult, simply a personal expression of my own particular taste.

  I'm more inclined to like a clearly shoegazey sounding band then a clearly 60s influenced with a few shoegazy touches, if that makes sense.  I don't think my personal opinion is particularly important for a band with an LP out on Slumberland.  I don't mind their take it slow approach to touring, but not touring becomes an issue at a certain point, and I think the lack of shows outside LA/NYC/SF is probably hurting their over-all  Audience size.

  Headliner DUNES took the stage to a less then appreciative audience- the negative mentioned above in the discussion of the audience really bugged me during this very powerful set.  The story with Dunes is Stephanie Chan:

DUNES STEPHANIE CHAN IN THE MIDDLE


  Dunes is another LA area band with a take it slow approach to touring that reflects the fact that the band members are college students.  That's not a problem, just a limitation to their audience size.  My personal observation is that with an album coming out in March on PPM, Dunes is a band that is ready for the spot light.  Stephanie Chan was a mesmerizing front woman, the opinion not just of myself, but of my out-of-town guest, who is not someone who looks at Pitchfork every day for his music taste.

  The song writing was different from many recent break-out lady-fronted LA rock bands in that the primary touch stones seem to be DC/Chicago style math rock- the kind of music I personally associate with Dischord Records in the 1990s.  Chan's singing ability and presence mitigate the potential "broishness" of that sound, but I would think from a marketing perspective it would endear her to potential audience members in the mid west and north east.

  The band was well rehearsed, and despite the limited sound system, all the songs were communicated effectively.   I'd like to see Dunes make a touring release around the release of the full-length in March, but I suspect any touring will have to wait until summer vacation in may/june.

Show Review: Divers///Cathedral X at the Whistle Stop (3/31/12)

SHOW REVIEW
DIVERS
CATHEDRAL X
@ The Whistle Stop Bar & Cantina in San Diego, CA.

  Legendary San Diego venue has seen some shows.  Here are the last two shows I went to:

Dirty Beaches & Jeans Wilder published on April 1st, 2010. (SHOW REVIEW)
Best Coast, Pearl Harbor(Puro Instinct, Beaters published on July 19th, 2009. (SHOW REVIEW)

 So that's where I'm coming from, when I review this show.  I can't even remember the last time Mario booked a band at the Whistle Stop- I think Jon Greene said that it was the Plateaus record release part a year ago.  I can remember for the prior two shows- Best Coast and Dirty Beaches?  I was actually excited beforehand, and I had a similar feeling on Friday night.

 Why I am excited?  Well, I'd prefer not to elaborate too much.  DIVERS and CATHEDRAL X both have numerous advantages in the market place, most notably the support of a record label and mastered material "in the can."  Oh wow, that's already more support of 99.9% of "local" bands.

  Then there is the music itself.   I'm more of a DIVERS man than CATHEDRAL X, and I know writers are not supposed to play comparison games according to sensitive Artists, so it's hard to write a review where they were playing back-to-back.  I'll tell you the crowd was larger for DIVERS, who played first. I think some of that is just attributable to the timing of the Friday night South Park bar scene.

  Here is what I said about the Audience at the Whistle Stop for this kind of show, written in 2009,  when I reviewed Best Coast's first San Diego show, it's exactly as true now as it was then:

IV. Crowd
Are these the people who show up on a saturday night at the Whistle Stop? Half the people ignoring the music, half the people paying attention. That's the way it has always been here, that's the way it always will be. Fine with me- easier to actually see the bands. Of the people that were there to see the music I recognized maybe half of them and some were down from LA to see the first two bands, others seemed to be new- (guy wearing a k records/beat happening t shirt I'm looking at you.) 
Certainly, the attention level of the people who were there indicated that there was some local interest in this show among local amateur music enthusiasts. It ought to emphasized what a minority enthusiasts for this brand of music represent in the local area. There are perhaps 75 people who attend these shows with any kind of regularity. 
       That is the way it will always be here, and there is freedom in invisibility. It's the Roman style freedom: "Freedom FROM." In San Diego, the artists and their fans are ghosts, walking amongst the citizenry unnoticed in between tanning plastic surgery freaks and american idol finalists. Two things that San Diego is "not" is a place where a local musician can achieve fame and notoriety amongst the locals or a place where the locals "care" about interesting local music. Trust me about that.  (2009 SHOW REVIEW)

  So that was exactly the case last night, in case you were wondering.  No progress. Doesn't matter, though.  A lot of people were out, half of them were paying attention.  I like it when bros come over to watch the band and look badly misplaced, I actually think that is an interesting phenomenon about the Audience segment consisting of "bros looking to score."    What you get, though, is an Audience, for Artists have that little or no Audience of their own.

  I doubt the case it will be like that forever for either Cathedral X and Divers, provided they commit to playing shows and putting out music.  It certainly didn't turn out that way for Best Coast or Dirty Beaches.  I'm just using those Artists as examples because those are the last two shows I've seen at this venue, not because I think there is any specific comparison between those Artists and these Artists.   It certainly is, at the very least, 2-3 years later, so it's a "different time" even if it's the "same place."

  One of the attractive features of Divers performance is that there was a real progression and build of emotion during the set- sort of a building of tempo?  That you often don't see with newer bands.

  Divers will make progress when people can listen to the songs on Spotify or whatever- when Artists put out recordings of strong songs, they can begin to create the feedback between Artist and Audience that inevitably results in bigger Audiences.

   Cathedral X is a different thing. What I like about them is the combining of a very distinct and formal visual presentation (they have a costume wearing dancer as a member of the band.) but the song structure and lyrics are experimental/improvisational.   This is not a band, 2, 3 years ago that I would have expected to keep the Friday night bar crowds attention, and some people walked off, but people were watching, which is a tribute to the sophistication of the Audience.

     I can see where people wouldn't find it "musical" enough to warrant attention, but if there is one thing that I have learned about contemporary music is that there is plenty, plenty, plenty of room on the musical fringes.  Maybe more room there then there are in more well established musical styles.

     I think Cathedral X needs to have more then a song or two out before they contemplate touring- they will want to make sure they have an Audience for the theatrical elements of their live show.  On the other hand, Divers can pursue a more tour intensive approach.  I liked having it as a two piece, and I'd be interested in seeing a three piece, but there is no need to hold up shows in places like LA or SF fiddling with the line-up.  Most importantly, Divers touring as a one piece or two piece is simply more efficient then touring as a three or four piece.

  If you can tour as a one or two piece that puts you ahead of all the bulkier acts- like you are starting further down the road.  I'd like to see a Divers, Yohuna tour booked by Cory Stier this summer.  That would be dope.  DIY style.

SHOW REVIEW: Colleen Green, Heavy Hawaii, Sunwheel, Asha (4/9/12)

SHOW REVIEW

Heavy Hawaii
Colleen Green
Sunwheel
Asha
Soda Bar San Diego, CA.

   Let me just say that I was actually excited to see two new local bands for what felt like the first time in two years.  I got there early just see Asha and Sunwheel.  I know Asha was a "game time" substitution because Dunes dropped off the bill.

ASHA SHESHADRI:      I think many show going San Diegans would recognize Asha from her being at  shows over the past couple of years.   She performed as a one piece with an imposing looking keyboard and then some combination of sampling/looping equipment- no drum machine.  Asha is certainly talented and smart enough to grasp some of the essentials of the up and coming girl with a keyboard and looping equipment genre that GRIMES is currently heading up.  It's funny though, because when I actually saw Grimes in Toronto last year I wouldn't have said she was markedly better then Asha last night.  I'm not trying to belittle Grimes or compliment Asha or vice vera, all I'm saying is I've seen them both perform in front of less then 50 people in the past 12 months, and they struck me as essentially being equally talented.  Certainly if anyone was to tell me that Grimes is waaaaay better then Asha, I would just scoff at them.

    That being said, the recent Grimes record clearly reveals how important a command of WARP Records era drum beats is to perfecting a variation of girl with a keyboard and looping/sampling equipment that will play in the sticks (like in San Diego, for example.)  Right now, Asha's music is interesting but static.  That's fine for being the opening band on a four band bill, but I would think she would want to add some beats before she hits the road, lest she fail to make the requisite good impression.  Personally, I like the music the way it is- that's just my observation about the actual market for her music.

 Asha has a tape out on Digitalis LTD (#234) which I will be writing about later.

SUNWHEEL:  I read a review, written in French, of a Crocodiles show in France last summer- they headlined some festival and had an audience of a few thousand people and the reviewer said- in French- this was just the translation, that, "Crocodiles should write more then 2 good songs before they start acting like conceited assholes."  I laughed out loud at the time, and even though I disagree with the observation in reference to the Crocodiles life show, I think it reflects the attitude of a significant portion of the Audience, especially the smaller Audience you get for local bands.

    Sunwheel certainly had some things going for it:  Three piece band with no drummer, just a drum machine,  two guy/one girl that had a press pack ready appearance and an in style gothy synth pop sound that fits in loosely with other Artists that are breaking out of local scenes with a similar sound.

  And while I'm appreciative of stylishness and having an actual stage presence as a local band, the songs need work.  In particular the set closing number needs to be banished, and if it means the set is one song shorter, so be it.   In recorded form the singer's voice is going to be crucial to obtaining any kind of wider interest, and I simply haven't heard any recordings, so I'm not sure if he's got a good voice or not.   Finally, and this is just a helpful suggestion, I don't know if the minimalist drum programming is the way to go, certainly  some more up tempo-ness would be appreciated during the life show.  Maybe a cover song?

  In conclusion though Sunwheel is about a thousand times more interesting then your tradition blues rock or Vampire Weekend inspired four piece with four white men who grew up in upper middle class suburban locations (which seems to comprise about 85% of the local bands in San Diego, CA.) so any criticism contained herein should be taken as positive encouragement, not negativity.

COLLEEN GREEN- What more can I say about Colleen Green other then that the Heavy Hawaii fans (I guess?) who showed up last night and sat at the bar talking through Colleen Green's set are a bunch of rude fucking assholes.  It's just common courtesy.  Ignore the local openers to your hearts content, but give the touring band 15 minutes of your time.  The bottom line is that Colleen is selling a ton of records right now, so it really doesn't matter what a bunch of San Diego losers think, but you were all rude to her, and that's an embarrassing fact.  If you actually watched Colleen Green perform last night you are surely convinced at how amazing she is live.  Colleen Green kills live.

HEAVY HAWAII- Skipped this set mainly because I felt like their fans were rude assholes to Colleen Green.  I'm just waiting for that LP to be finished and get released on Art Fag Recordings later this year.  Maybe early next year at this rate.  It should be noted that Heavy Hawaii def. has an audience of +100 for those of you considering who to book as local acts for upcoming San Diego area events- music festivals, WHAT HAVE YOU.