west coast fix

Nina's Top 10 Songs of 2011

2012-01-17T11:31:00.000-08:00

10. Starfucker - "Bury Us Alive"

9. Lykke Li - "Unrequited Love"

8. SBTRKT - "Wildfire"

7. M83 - "Midnight City"

6. Neon Indian - "Polish Girl"

5. St. Vincent - "Cruel"

4. Wye Oak - "Civilian"

3. Kimbra - "Cameo Lover" (Sam Sparro & Golden Touch Remix)

2. Mr. Little Jeans - "The Suburbs"

1. Purity Ring - "Lofticries"

Marcea's Top 10 Songs of 2011

2012-01-13T14:10:00.000-08:00

2011 was all about mixing genres, loving the new M83 while simultaneously obsessing over Lil B's mixtapes. This year was fresh, encompassing, and genre-ignoring.

Honorable Mentions: Azealia Banks "212", Twin Sister "Kimmi in a Rice Field", Yelle "Que Veux-Tu", Washed Out "Amor Fati"

10. Beyonce - "Countdown"

9. Kreayshawn - "Gucci Gucci"

8. M83 - "Midnight City"

7. Lil B - "Based 4 Ya Face"

6. Iggy Azalea - "PU$$Y"

5. Altrice - "TKOL"

4. A$AP Rocky - "Peso"

3. Shabazz Palaces - "Free Press and Curl"

2. Elite Gymnastics - "h e r e , i n h e a v e n"

1. Purity Ring - "Lofticries"

Balam Acab 12/15/11

2012-01-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

Back in December the rising Balam Acab and local openers played the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix. Balam Acab has been a favorite amongst Witch Haus and new age hipster goths, but the band's appearance does not fit these stereotypes. While their fans are pretentious and spend a large amount making themselves look like they don't care, the band seems to be motivated solely by the music. This duo was not worried about appearing to be something they were not. The band consists of a short glasses-wearing guy (Alec Koone), and a tall girl wearing a floor length skirt. Koone played synths and his laptop, while his accomplice did vocals that sounded different but equal in quality to the album.

Balam Acab - Motion by TriAngleRecords
The band sounded great, minus a computer mishap that led to some minutes of silence. Balam Acab's live show sounds completely different than the recorded tracks off the newest full-length Wander / Wonder. When played live, the songs sound like excellently crafted RPG music with beats and running water. Be sure to listen to the full length on vinyl, but you'll have to hunt as Balam Acab didn't have any with them on tour.

...music video? Interview

2011-11-30T09:40:00.000-08:00

...music video? (Tucson, AZ on Fort Lowell Records)
Website
Facebook

photo of ...music video? courtesy of the band

Marcea: What's the name of your band? What's the origin of that name? Have you changed the band's name before?

Paul Jenkins: "...music video?". Formerly "music video". The name came from relentless brainstorming many years ago, and it was the most obvious band name we could come up with that nobody had ever taken. The band name was slightly changed to add the punctuation when we were starting to feel uneasy anytime somebody asked us what our band was called, and we responded with an awkward pause and an upward inflection.

Wes McCanse: I like Paul's answer. After brainstorming hundreds of potential names, it was the one idea that instantly got my attention every time. It made me ask myself, "can a band actually call themselves something that obvious?" I agree that every time I tell someone our name I have that awkward pause and upward inflection. I guess it's a name I can't say without unveiling my own insecurity about it. Now that it's been "...music video?" for a while, I've found I just like the look of it with the punctuation. To me it's aesthetically pleasing.

How did you guys meet each other/how was the band formed?

Paul: Wes McCanse and I, the co-founders of ...music video?, met in high school when we played in a progressive rock band called Swivelfish. Wes and J Lugo Miller met years later when they joined the experimental art-pop group Musica Obscura. Miller joined [...music video?] in early 2009.

Wes: Again, I like Paul's answer. To help with the timeline, I'd add that J had been a member of Musica Obscura here and there over the years. I was the last member (in maybe the last incarnation of the band). After that when Paul and I were playing we wanted to add something to our sound. We always LOVED J's beats. So we asked him to contribute a few to a ...music video? album. Before we really knew it he was a new addition to our lineup.

Who are your musical influences?

Paul: Ah, everybody's favorite question. Right now: Burial (the new Massive Attack remixes he did are amazing), Yoni Wolf (Why?), & Tom Krell (How to Dress Well).

J Lugo Miller: Iggy, Bowie, Dilla, Eno, FlyLo, Zomby, Madlib, and Burial.

Wes: I'm glad Paul prefaced with "right now:" because I don't think How to Dress Well has influenced our band's sound (I've personally never heard a note of this artist, and I've only heard of him from Paul in the last few months). Like J, I think of artists that have influenced me over years and years like Radiohead, The Flaming Lips, Massive Attack, DJ Shadow, and Portishead. But I know Paul doesn't like to state the more obvious influences (who hasn't been influenced by Radiohead?) If I were to attempt to consolidate our 3 answers I would say, Why?, Burial, Brian Eno, Massive Attack, and The Flaming Lips.

What song are you most proud of that you've made so far?

Paul: Perhaps The Day I Exploded. Or maybe Lost at Sea.

J: "I'm Afraid Of Everything", because I feel that every individual element of that song blends perfectly together; it's simple counterpoint done at a level of quality that surpassed my initial expectations.

Wes: For me it's really like picking a favorite child.

...music video? "I'm Afraid Of Everything" by FortLowellRecords

What do you hope the band will accomplish?

Paul: I hope the band will be able to support itself financially without having to work day-jobs. Someday...someday.

Wes: I want us to still be relevant in 20 years. I agree with Paul, I want this band to replace my day job. To look at what we've accomplished with music taking the passenger's seat to my full-time job the entire time ...music video? has been around, it makes me wonder what we would be capable of if we could afford to have ...music video? in the driver's seat for once.

How did you start to work with Fort Lowell Records? Do you work with any other labels?

J: James Tritten approached us with a sack full of his favorite 7 inch records, and a head full hopes and dreams of, one day, releasing his own 7 inch records. He impressed us with his knowledge, enthusiasm, and penchant for detail and quality. We're very happy to work with Fort Lowell Records because they are our friends, and we wish them future success. We would be very lucky if we got a chance to work a label as tight knit, professional, and friendly as Fort Lowell Records; we're kinda holding out for another label like that.

Wes: I really like J's answer. I don't even remember how or who James contacted, but we met up with him at our favorite venue, PLUSH, to get to know each other over a few pints. We'd love to work with other labels like Fort Lowell Records, but with them being our first experience working with any label, they've set the bar pretty high.

Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?

Paul: We did a decent-sized tour at the end of 2009, in which we made it all the way to New York City. That was an amazing experience. We like any venues that treat bands with respect. We dislike venues that treat us like an inconvenience.

J: A bunch of places around this country, but not enough to boost our status as legitimate rock stars. We miss the Red Room at The Grill.

Wes: We can finally say we've performed all over the country. I agree with Paul, any venue that is welcoming to the acts it books is a great venue in my book. If the bartenders, booking agent, owner or whatever treat the bands like an inconvenience it sets the tone for how the show goes. Founders Brewery in Grand Rapids, Pianos (Piano's?) in NY, and Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa were 3 of my personal favorites. The Basement in Nashville was definitely my least favorite.

Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers?

Paul: Some of the crowd favorites have been Lost at Sea, The Day I Exploded, and I Like You. We tend to play those songs often. We just recently started playing a cover of a song that Sinead O'Conor might have covered once or twice.

Wes: I Like You and The Day I Exploded. We currently cover Sinead O'Conor's Nothing Compares 2 U. We used to cover My Bloody Valentine's When You Sleep and Gorillaz' Clint Eastwood.

J: Due to stringent copyright laws, we do not play cover songs, nor do we sample other artists material. If you've heard differently, come to one of our shows and hear for yourself.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs?

Paul: So far, I have written the bulk of the music and lyrics, but McCanse (guitarist/producer/engineer) and Miller (synth/producer/beatmaker) are the glue that brings ...music video? together.

J: "I am the music and I write the songs..." - Barry (Mu'fuckin') Manilow (Son!)

Wes: The main theme for the newest album I think Paul would say is something like coping with understanding love when you don't know if you even believe in love.

How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

Paul: I believe we have moved away from outright emulating other artists, and have moved toward more of a seamless blending of our influences. I guess you could say we've gotten closer to finding our own sound. Not that we could really describe it. I'm just glad you didn't ask us to tell you what genre we are.

J: We've taken a more "live" or traditional approach to writing and recording by playing the songs and working out parts and arrangements before recording, as opposed to recording the songs during the creation process.

Wes: Our music is now like a living, breathing thing. It's not something one person could have created in a bedroom on their laptop (like our old material), but it's also not like a punk band that gets together and just bangs out the tunes. It's really the best of both. There's calculated perfection where we feel that needs to be, and there's loose improvisation where that needs to be. It's great because that perfection that we each have in us prevents it from ever being a train wreck, but the ability to play together and interact with each other as a band means the show will be different every time depending on how much beer we've all ingested or how the crowd is responding to us.

Check out ...music video? on Marcea's radio show Base of the Black Hill: A Local's Only Show Thursday, December 1st from 6-7pm (mountain standard) on kamp.arizona.edu. Also catch them live at some of their upcoming shows.

12/12 | Tucson, AZ, Club Congress w/ Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, The Electric Blankets
1/3 | Los Angeles, CA, Silverlake Lounge w/ Lo-Fi Sugar
1/6 | Tucson, AZ, Plush, w/ Little Lo
1/14 | San Diego, CA, The Ruby Room w/ Bitter Sober, FMEra, and Jackson Price

CSS — "City Grrrl"

2011-11-22T01:31:00.001-08:00

Earlier this month CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy) released the video for their song "City Grrrl" featuring Ssion. This is the second single of the new album, La Liberacion.

Tracy Shedd Puts Out Music Video From Luz de Vida + Tour Dates

2011-11-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

Tracy Shedd (Teen-Beat Records and Fort Lowell Records) has recently put out a new music video for her song "Encourage Me", one of the stand-out tracks on the recently released Luz de Vida: A Compilation to Benefit the Victims of the Tucson Tragedy from Fort Lowell Records. Read about the compilation here.

The music video is directed by Jesse Ewles, who has directed videos for bands such as Grizzly Bear, of Montreal, and Tokyo Police Club.

Tracy Shedd and Fort Lowell Records have announced a national tour to promote the Luz de Vida compilation, and raise awareness and funds for the Tucson Together Fund. Special guests from the compilation will join Tracy Shedd, such as Howe Gelb (of Giant Sand) on the west coast, and Sweet Secrets in Seattle, WA.

WINTER TOUR DATES 2011
11/23 | Marfa, TX, Padre's
11/25 | Dallas, TX, Good Records In-Store at 6:00pm
11/25 | Dallas, TX,The Kessler Theater
11/27 | Austin, TX, Mohawk
11/28 | Houston, TX, Rudyard's Pub
11/29 | New Orleans, LA, Siberia
11/30 | Jacksonville, FL, Club TSI
12/01 | Fernandina Beach, FL,The Green Turtle
12/02 | Tampa, FL, Micro Groove Records In-Store (afternoon)
12/02 | Tampa, FL, New World Brewery (evening)
12/03 | Atlanta, GA, 529
12/04 | Raleigh, NC, Slim's
12/05 | Arlington, VA, The Galaxy Hut
12/06 | Brooklyn, NY, The Rock Shop
12/07 | Pawtucket, RI, The News Cafe
12/08 | Philadelphia, PA, The Fire
12/09 | Cleveland, OH, Cleveland Renaissance Hotel
12/10 | Chicago, IL, Red Line Tap
12/14 | Seattle, WA, Columbia City Theater *#
12/15 | Portland, OR, Doug Fir Lounge *
12/17 | Oakland, CA, The New Parish *
12/19 | Sacramento, CA, Bows & Arrows
12/20 | San Francisco, CA, Hemlock Tavern
12/21 | Los Angeles, CA, The Bootleg Theater
12/22 | San Diego, CA, The Tin Can
12/23 | Palm Springs, CA, Amigo Room at Ace Hotel & Swim Club $

* = w/ Howe Gelb
# = w/ Sweet Secrets
$ = w/ Young Mothers (Fort Lowell Records)

Check out Tracy Shedd's website here, videos here, and music here.
Check out Music Against Violence here.

CSS / MEN 10/11/11

2011-10-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

On October 11th MEN and CSS played the new Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix. Our interview with MEN's JD Samson from the day of the show can be found here.

MEN

CSS

Identity Politics: An Interview With MEN's JD Samson

2011-10-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

A week ago West Coast Fix interviewed JD Samson from MEN around their Phoenix date opening for CSS. We discussed their latest record, the Occupy movement, identity politics, and the internet. Grab the LESANDS remix of MEN's "Simultaneously" here.

Can you give us three adjectives thatdescribe MEN?

As in the band?

Yeah, the band.

Sincere…you’re putting me on the spot!I guess that’s your job…sincere…conceptual…and…

Well, we can go with two

…reinventing

Okay so sincere, conceptual, andreinventing.

Yeah

How would you say MEN (the band) isunique from other musical projects that you’ve been a part of?

Well, I think that you know…one thingthat’s just pretty obvious is it’s with different people so there’s differentinfluences that come from different people’s personalities and interests — Iwould say that’s probably the biggest part. But I think also, I’ve just grownas a musician.

Would you say that you’re the drivingforce behind MEN, or is there a lot of collaboration with others?

I think it’s changed a lot. In thebeginning it was kind of like Johanna (Fateman) and I, and then this other band Hirsutewas very collaborative, and then it was like extremely equal and about visualsand conceptual and an art band, and then I think there was definitely a momentlike “okay, this is gonna be my new project and who wants to do it?”, andthere was definitely a day and a time, and a historical memory for all of uswhere there was a big turn and it became like “JD Samson’s new project”.

Right now it seems like there are twoof you who are the core members of the band, is that the case?

Yeah, I mean it’s complicated becauseGinger left the band right when the record came out and we were kind of like“what do we do!? Like, get a whole new person? But, we need to tour thisrecord” and we weren’t sure, so Tami Hart was like “well, I wanna do this onetour with you” so we went with her, and this time we were like “let’s dosomething totally different!” so we invited Lee Free to drum with us, but sincewe’ve been touring this record that came out that we wrote with Ginger it’sbeen weird to invite someone in as a full-fledged member, so I’m not reallysure what’s gonna happen after this tour with the next record, but we did writethe record just Michael and I, but I think we are definitely interested inlike, having a band, not just it being a duo.

So when you and Michael were writingit, it seems a lot of the subject-matter has to do with issues of marginalization,did you consciously do that or did it just come about that way?

I think we are inherently so politicaland kind of just interested in identity politics. You know, we walk around theworld being political by brushing our teeth, that’s just how we are. So, Ithink that the idea of marginalization and oppression and all of these thingskind of comes naturally to us, but we didn’t really realize how depressing therecord was until we were done with it. We also didn’t realize that we weregonna talk about money so much till we were done with it. I think we wrote it duringlike 2007/2008 which was like really when the recession hit. I think thatthat’s been really apparent and also really interesting just to seehistorically a record being made then, and how it can vary so much in terms ofwhat you were synced to.

Yeah, definitely, and the record definitelyis ringing true to what’s going on today. Do you think the Occupy movement willadequately address some of the issues that you brought up in the record?

Yeah, totally! I mean, it’s reallyinteresting how sometimes your music doesn’t really…when your music is activismit doesn’t necessarily work as activism until there is like a whole revolutionsurrounding it. I think that’s been really interesting, obviously I wrote something for the Huffington Post a couple weeks ago or whatever. It’s funnyhow that’s something people are responding to when it’s not actually my usualart form. Like, I said the same things on the record you know, it’s just adifferent context and a different way of putting it, and if that’s what ittakes for people to be activated and to start thinking then that’s great, butit’s not out of the creative portion of the music.

Yeah, it’s definitely an ongoing issue.How does today’s political or revolutionary climate compare to other movementsthat you’ve been a part of in the past?

Well, I think something reallyinteresting, the internet…I’ve always felt like internet has really been greatfor activism in this way, but also really kind of a hindrance to peoplegathering together ‘cause not only does it create a space that’s invisible. Alot of people were criticizing it because it was so general in the beginning,“what’s the real reason why they’re gathering? I don’t get it…” and I eventhought that myself when I first heard about it, like “well, so…what are youdoing, what are you asking for?” and then as time went on I realized that wasexactly what we need, because that’s something that everyone can understand.We’re having an issue with the economy and whatever we can do to try and get itback for us is what we need to do, and that’s all that needs to be said. So Ithink that’s why so many people can respond, so I think that is the perfectrevolution for us right now.

Right, definitely. So as far as beingdiscriminated against for not being hetero-normative, what reaction do youthink you might get from people…from those who you feel oppress you now if youhad a hetero-normative gender presentation? Would it drastically change yourlife?

I don’t know, I mean…I can’t say that.I feel like I’ve always been in this body and I’ve been at this economic class,and I think that that’s just who I am, and I think that’s who I’ll always be inthis way. I’m proud of both of those things and I think that it’s only somethingthat you can question and something that’s interesting to think about iswhether or not your race, gender, sexuality…all those things kind of play intoyour economic status and financial situation. There’s lots of jokes aboutlesbians being poor, haha. I can only you know…put out the facts and questionit, and I think that’s something that’s important for our band to do ingeneral. We don’t want to preach to the converted, we don’t want to preach atall. We just want to be sincere about the way that we feel, and create that setof facts and a set of feelings and things for people to do their own kind ofinventory and think about how they feel.

Right, that’s correct. So, thesestruggles are obviously a major driving force behind your creative inspiration.So, if…well I guess you said you can only speculate…but, are you kind ofthankful in a weird way to have that inspiration?

Um, yeah in I definitely feel like Ican be inspired by ways I may or may not feel oppressed because, it’s almostlike I have this obsession with adaptation and turning things around. So, Ifeel like no matter what song I start in a depressing way it becomes positiveby the end, and I think that that’s inherently the way that I live my life. Theway that I feel about things is like: “things might be hard, but we’re going toget through this no matter what it takes”, and I don’t know where that comesfrom but, that’s there. I think that in a sense even in the Huffington Postthing, in the last sentence I’m like “this is a way for us to come together”,and I think that it’s just natural to me and. I feel like that’s just as muchan inspiration for me as the hardships. Kind of like, the idea that throughhaving hardships, or being compassionate and sensitive to each other’shardships, we can all come together and change.

So, through your subject-matter, I’veseen you live before, when I was at your show it seems like it felt like a safespace for queer youth. Do you think about that when you’re planning your liveshows?

Yeah, totally. I think it’s alwaysbeen important for me to create that safe space for anyone, and I think thathaving the opportunity to own a room for the night is really important. It’simportant to cultivate the right people to be there so that you can have aspace to feel safe to you too like, for myself. I think that we want to besurrounded by people who are compassionate and caring and kind and we want togive that back to the audience and have that energy exchange, and to be able todance and not think about people staring at us or whatever. So I think that’salways been important, in Le Tigre as well — I think that’s something I reallylearned from that experience.

Right. So, right now you’re on tourwith CSS, you were on tour before with artists like Peaches. They all seem tohave a similar mindset to yours. Do you usually tour with bands that kind ofthink in the same way you do?

Yeah, it’s funny…like, yeah afterthinking about it a little bit I think that one of the things that all thebands we tour with have in common are that they’re like completely dedicated totheir fans. I think that there’s this common thread of feminism that’s justlike “we’re here, doing this because we believe in change and we believe inyou”.

At a time when a lot of artists areavoiding Arizona have you consciously chosen to make a point to come here?

No, I think that boycotts are reallydifficult. Especially in terms of music industry and playing shows and stuffbecause it’s our job so we’re actually fucking ourselves over in this way. Inthe beginning when people were first boycotting we definitely thought about it.We also felt like we didn’t want to punish the people of Arizona.

Exactly

And I think that that was really thedecision, the real decision definitely. I don’t know, I guess ever since thenwe’ve been on the same track of just pushing through. A lot of people aretrying to boycott um……Georgia right now as well. We’re just kind of, not actingto it. We’re going with it.

I didn’t know that there was Georgiaboycotts.

Yeah, Michael Moore was trying to dothat.

Huh, that’s pretty weird. So, you’resuch a voice for the queer community especially in the creative and musicscenes, you mentioned some of the problems in you Huffington Post article thatkind of come from being pegged as only being that, so is there…

Pegged as what?

Pegged as being The Voice of the queercommunity and known for that, is there anything else you would like to be knownfor?

Yeah, I don't know… I guess just my art.

Luz De Vida: A Compilation to Benefit the Victims of the Tucson Tragedy

2011-10-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

Various Artists - Luz De Vida: A Compilation to Benefit the Victims of the Tucson Tragedy (Fort Lowell Records)

Fort Lowell Records

Music Against Violence

Tucson Together Fund

Fort Lowell Records has teamed up with Music Against Violence as well as numerous sponsors primarily from Tucson, Arizona to create the Luz De Vida compilation (meaning "light of life" in Spanish). All proceeds go to the Tucson Together Fund, benefiting the families and victims of the tragic Tucson shooting on January 8th of this year. Ask any Tucsonian, and you will find that even though the shooting happened nearly 9 months ago, the impact still reverberates through the community, and the pain of such a tragedy still lingers. This compilation comes to help Tucson heal, and to help the people of Tucson remember the vibrant community, support, culture, care, and music that surrounds the city.

The compilation opens with "People Beat" by Dead Western Plains that sounds just as bright and warm as a hot, sunny day in Tucson. The song is uplifting and hopeful, dedicated to the "innocent lives, family, and friends" affected by the tragic Tucson shooting, as indicated in the liner notes. Other songs have this same feeling of hopefulness, such as "Encourage Me" by Tracy Shedd, "Swim an Ocean" by La Cerca, and "Father's Father" by Holy Rolling Empire.

Dead Western Plains "People Beat" by FortLowellRecords

The stand-out track off of the compilation is "Luz A La Vida" by Mariachi Luz de Luna, which features bright horns and Spanish lyrics — a vibrant and triumphant song in the style of mariachi, which reflects the older cultural traditions of Tucson. However, the compilation also showcases the other side of recovery from such a tragedy, the solemn reflections and remembrance of the lives that were lost on that day. Songs such as "Absent Afternoon" by Calexico, "Recovery Mission" by Giant Sand, and "The Oasis" by Rainer represent the difficulty of regaining strength after such a difficult event. "Recovery Mission" best represents this feeling of disbelief, with somber, beautiful vocal melodies that represent how difficult it is to recover from a city-shaking tragedy.

Giant Sand "Recovery Mission (Radio Edit)" by FortLowellRecords

All the different influences in Tucson are brought together in this magnificently beautiful, heart-breaking yet hopeful compilation. The Tucson community is supportive, flourishing, and healing one day at a time. Luz de Vida comprehensively showcases Tucson's resiliency, culture, and deep sense of community in just twelve tracks.

The record releases tomorrow, October 18th, 2011. The release party will be at the Rialto Theater this Saturday, October 22nd, 2011 at 7:30pm. All ages, general admission. $5 suggested donation, $10 for entrance and a digital download, $20 entrance and vinyl. Special showcases by Joey and John of Calexico, Kiss and the Tells, Mariachi Luz de Luna, Reno Del Mar, Tracy Shedd, La Cerca, Golden Boots, and more!

Dominant Legs / Nurses 10/01/11

2011-10-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

Dominant Legs

Nurses

On October first, Dominant Legs and Nurses brought their Folk inspired Indie Rock to Solar Culture. Both bands have a lead male vocalist with voices that sound similar to those of Fleetfoxes and Grouplove. This tour is a double headliner, Nurses opened the show at this stop. Most of the crowd was there to see Nurses, who sounded great and seemed to have a lot of fun playing. Their hit, Fever Dreams, was a crowd pleaser. It was unfortunate that this band played first, as most of the crowd left after their set.

The Neighborhood: SOMA // Dominant Legs from Yours Truly on Vimeo.
Dominant Legs were not as captivating as Nurses, but they were still good. The band was very much in love with what they were doing, but you could tell they are still coming together musically. Over time their live show will mature to reflect the excellent cuts on their album "Invitation". A couple of their tracks sounded very strong, including the single (and my personal favorite) — Where We Trip the Light.

Braids / Painted Palms 09/30/11

2011-10-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Braids
Painted Palms

Factories

Painted Palms

Braids

Colour Revolt / Colourmusic 9/26/11

2011-10-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

Colour Revolt
Colourmusic
Reece

Reece

Colourmusic

Colour Revolt

Neon Indian / Com Truise 9/26/11

2011-10-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

Neon Indian
Com Truise

Neon Indian and Com Truise playing a show together is any stoned chillgazer's wet dream. Both bands have a 1980s video game feel that leaves the listener in the back room of the Tron arcade. These two groups obviously find inspiration in many of the same places.Com Truise opened the evening at Club Congress, where the line to get in went down the street. Their sound was powerful and commanding as it sucked in the audience. Seth Haley (Com Truise) played live on his gorgeous synths while a drummer beated along. Haley's songs all sound very similar, but each one is completely able to stand alone. While listening to them, it became apparent that each one of his songs has a great deal of character.

Neon Indian was so much better live than expected. The band has many fans that love both of lead song-writer Alan Palomo's creations. Personally, the new album "Era Extraña" outshines the first album when listening to the recorded version. Palomo and company brought to life the the hits from the first album, making them just as enjoyable as the new songs. The songs that stood out were Deadbeat Summer, Polish Girl, Fallout, Hex Girlfriend, Psychic Chasms; Mind, Drips was a crowd favorite. Neon Indian showed great musicianship, the way Palomo navigated the synths gave the impression that he really knows his instruments. Both groups proved that they are at the forefront of Chillwave, they are set apart from those looking to cash in on the trend.

Kuhrye-oo / Purity Ring Show 8/29/11

2011-09-02T03:22:00.000-07:00

Kuhrye-oo
Purity Ring

Soul Handsome by kuhryeoo
A few weeks ago Corin (the producer in the duo known as Purity Ring) said he hoped to get a couple people out to the band's Arizona dates. Unsurprisingly, more than a few people turned out. Not only is this band the blogosphere's newest darling, they have a sound which stands apart. For a band on their first US tour they sounded like seasoned professionals.

Kuhrye-oo (bandmate in Corin's Born Gold), opened the show at Solar Culture. The sounds were ethereal, starting the Purity Ring adventure on a spiritual note. As the one-man-show played his beats it became apparent, this is what live electronic sets should sound like. The crowd was swaying, unable to keep from getting pulled inside their own head by the music.

Belispeak by PURITY RING
Purity Ring was a dream come true for an audience who knew so little about them. The band has only officially released three monumental songs, leaving knowing what to expect a difficult chore. The duo of Corin and Megan played around seven songs, each one sounding just as wonderful as every other. Their three released tracks sounded even better live, which would seem to be impossible. Purity Ring was phenomenal, one of the best shows to come through Arizona in recent times. The members of both bands are hardworking, extremely talented, and humble; they deserve to continue on an upward path to stardom (as long as that is what they want).

Young Mothers "Come On, The Cross" 7" Record Review

2011-08-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

Young Mothers (Phoenix, AZ) Come On, The Cross 7" (Fort Lowell Records)
Check out the music here.

Young Mothers is the project of Phoenix musician Zach Toporek. The record was put out by Fort Lowell Records, a great record label based out of Tucson with a special affinity for pressing vinyl records. This 7" gives a taste of Young Mothers sound which is very promising to say the least. The track "Come On, The Cross" could be a big hit, with its perfect combination between catchy pop and good ol' fashioned rock and roll. It's the kind of song that gets better the more it's listened to, with a melody that could get stuck in your head for days.

The track that is especially captivating is the other track on the single, "Good Swords". It is folky, mellow, and melancholy. His vocals are reminiscent of Elliot Smith, and the finger-picking style of the guitar is soothing, with soft vocal harmonies throughout the song.

Young Mothers has a fresh, yet familiar take on pop music. Toporek goes beyond typical expectations of what a pop song should sound like while still creating music that is relatable and appealing.

Young Mothers "Come On, The Cross" by FortLowellRecords

You Me & Us "Paperweights" 7" Record Review

2011-08-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

You Me & Us (CA) Paperweights 7" (Self-Released)
Check out their website here.

This album is full of energy, excitement, youth, pretty vocals, and fuzzy guitars. I snagged a blue colored 7" of this great record after seeing You Me & Us play at Skrappy's a few weeks ago. The record starts off with probably my favorite track out of the bunch, "Off Pudding". Her vocals sound especially compelling on this track, with a hint of sadness in stark contrast to the fun, upbeat melody going on in the background. The lyrics are actually quite serious, about life changing, moving apart from others, and growing older. It's very relevant to many young people forging their way in life, expressing the joys of exploring the world and being fearless, but at the same time, also feeling a disconnect to people or places once known well. It's a shame it's only about 1 minute long, it leaves me wanting more! To be honest, when I listen to this record, I have to repeat this song a few times before I feel satisfied to move on to the next track.

The next track, "Steve Holt!" starts off sounding very similar to "Off Pudding", but quickly becomes more distinct as the vocals begin. This song has definite swaying power. As I sit and listen, I find myself relaxing, daydreaming, and swaying from side to side with its easy melody. And of course, it references a great bit of pop culture-- the character Steve Holt from the TV show taken off the air much too soon, Arrested Development.

What is really striking about this record to me is the vocals, Carlee, guitarist and vocalist, has a unique voice that has a lot of character and intricacies, and how well her beautiful vocals work with the adventurous and youthful fuzziness of the guitar and bass, and the upbeat drum rhythms. This great balance is heard on each track of this 7". You Me & Us is a band writing music very true to them, to their youth, and the culture of where they are from. It's dreamy, summer-y, and most definitely California rock and roll at heart.

Track Listing:
1. Off Pudding 1:03
2. Steve Holt! 1:54
3. Bright Red Marker 2:19
4. Planetary Differences 1:02
5. California Street 1:24
6. Paperweights 2:23

You Me & Us Interview

2011-08-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

You Me & Us (8/11 @ Skrappy's)
Check out their website here.

On August 11th, You Me & Us play at Skrappy's with Peaks. They had vibrant energy that inspired the crowd to dance and form conga lines. The show was full of fun. A review of their 7", Paperweights, will be up soon.

You Me & Us are:

Carlee- Guitar & Vocals
Jan- Drums
Ignacio- Bass

Me: Does being from California influence your sound?

Jan- Yeah, of course. We all grew up in California so a lot of our influences come from being around friends and palm trees and shit like that.

When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?

Ignacio- We started this project in January after having played music together in a different band for awhile. We're best friends and we have a lot of fun playing together so I think it was just natural that we would be in a band together.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?

Jan- Carlee writes the lyrics and guitar parts and then the rest of the song comes together collectively.

Carlee- I write mostly about nostalgia and adventures and relationships. I think those things are pretty permanent fixtures in my writing, though I'm sure the way I approach them will change over time.

What song are you most proud of that you've made so far?

Jan- I don't think we're any more or less proud of any song in particular, but I think we can all agree that 'Off Pudding' is probably our favorite song to play off of 'Paperweights.' We're also really excited for some of the new songs we are playing on tour right now.

What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?

Ignacio- Finding good pizza in every city we play in. Also just balancing our normal lives and schedules with trying to tour and play music as much as possible.

This is a tough question, but as a response from each individual member, what is ONE song that influenced you to make music?

Jan- The Beach Boys, 'Wendy.'

Ignacio- Cat Power 'The Sleepwalker.'

Carlee- Elton John, 'Crocodile Rock.'

Given the male-dominance in the music industry, how do you feel as a band that puts a female in the forefront playing guitar? Does it affect how you make music, tour, etc.? Did you consciously create this band dynamic to address this issue, or are you a band uninterested in attaching yourself to it?

Carlee- It definitely wasn't a conscious decision. It just kind of happened this way. It's always awesome to see a female fronting a band, and it feels awesome to be a female fronting a band. Especially because most (if not all) of the bands where I grew up were all-male, and most bands in general are all-male. But I don't like to use it, or see it be used, as a gimmick. I don't really understand asking for grand amounts of acknowledgment for being a female and playing an instrument. I feel like giving off the vibe of, "hey, check me out, I may be a girl, but I can play guitar!" is just as much of a setback as the people at shows who assume I'm just someone's girlfriend.

What can you tell me about your instruments? What made you choose the instruments you have now?

Carlee- Fender is definitely my preference, though I'm really in love with the weird 60's and 70's japanese frankenguitars made by Teisco. RIght now I play a blonde Jazzmaster and it's a complete dream boat. I also just bought a surf green Stratocaster and it was a really spur of the moment purchase as I usually hate strats but this one has changed my mind completely. I run through a Fender Supersonic and I don't think I would ever use anything else. It gives me a lot of options, though I generally use high gain settings and a good amount of reverb.

Ignacio- I play a Fender Jazz Bass. I bought it because I find it really comfortable to play. I don't have a loyalty to Fender though. If something sounds good and plays right I'll use it. I play out of an Acoustic head and cab. It was a cheap option and it doesn't sound bad. I use a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal for some songs.

Jan- I'm a huge fan of really really big drums and the sound that vintage drums produce. The most prominent part of my drum kit would have to be my 32" Ludwig Concert Series bass drum that I've converted into a kick drum. It makes me look tiny! All of my drums are also wrapped in sparkles so that's kind of cool, I guess.

Do you have a record label?

Ignacio- We self released the record.

Do you guys have any other hobbies besides, obviously, making music?

Ignacio- I like painting and drawing and riding my bicycle.

Carlee- I'm always on a mission to find good vintage clothing. I also really like my dog.

Jan- Aside from playing music and going to school, I'm also a DJ at my college's radio station (KUCR) in Riverside. I also enjoy spending my rent money on vinyl records occasionally.

BONUS QUESTION: Which pokemon would each of you be and why?

Ignacio- I would be Exeggutor. My moods can rapidly change and interfere with each other so I feel I can relate to Exeggutor.

Jan- I guess I'd be Snorlax. I'm usually asleep more than half of the day.

Carlee- Probably Togepi, because he is very fragile and eats ice cream.

Scattered Trees, Sympathy Video

2011-08-19T01:19:00.000-07:00

Video for "Sympathy" by Scattered Trees from the recently released Sympathy.

Doctor Dinosaur / Andrew Jackson Jihad Show Review 8/17/11

2011-08-17T23:03:00.001-07:00

Doctor Dinosaur / Andrew Jackson Jihad (8/17 @ Skrappy's)
Doctor Dinosaur
Andrew Jackson Jihad

Unfortunately, I only caught the tail end of Doctor Dinosaur's show. But what I heard was raw, powerful emotion and energy. Everyone was bopping along and I was sad to miss most of what was probably an all-around stellar performance. I won't be making the mistake of missing their set next time!

This was Andrew Jackson Jihad's last show in Arizona for awhile. It was so bittersweet, the realization creeping in that Arizona's favorite gem of a local band would be moving elsewhere. Andrew Jackson Jihad is no doubt an inspirational band that has been there for a lot of Arizona youths through thick and thin-- the powerful lyrics and reaction from the crowd definitely proved how much this band has meant to the local scene. The crowd reacted in a wide variety of ways, the way true art should-- from swaying, to yelling the words, to outright dancing, or solemnly soaking in the words and sounds. There's a lot of AJJ lyrics that I keep close to my heart, but for some reason this one always stuck with me, from the song "Truckers are the Blood":

You don't know your own power
You don't know what you're worth
You don't recognize your valor
And until you do, nothing you do will matter

They have a special way of being positive without being cheesy, expressing self-doubt as well as self-determination, to represent a whole range of complicated emotions and feelings of triumph and simultaneous defeat. AJJ motivates when the listener cannot motivate themselves to accept difficulties and rise above. Their songs are relatable to the no doubt shitty times that happen in life, but the songs always seem to offer a positive way to look at those lame situations.
The show was phenomenal, the harmonies were perfect. The mandolin rang bright, the bass thumping, rhythmically, while the crowd yelled and sang along.

See the original post on my Locals Only Radio Show Blog!

Album Review: Chelsea Wolfe Ἀποκάλυψις

2011-08-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ἀποκάλυψις

Honestly, the intro track ("PRIMAL//CARNAL") to Ἀποκάλυψις disgusted me. It's a dark album so it surely fits to open the album with weird screams — but it was more like the cheesy records with scary ghoul noises my mom used to put on every Halloween, and less avant-garde/dark than intended. For future listening of this album (pronounced "apokalypsis", Greek for Apocalypse), I'm probably going to delete this track out of my iTunes because it provides a negative first impression to an otherwise pretty good record.

Overall, this record is so dense that at times it sounds as if Wolfe's voice is being swallowed by the drums, bass, and other indiscernible noise. Her voice sounds as if it is struggling to escape, as in the track "MER", with the drums undulating a dark rhythm and her voice seemingly pleading for a brighter melody. The feelings of darkness and loneliness is what she is ultimately conveying, and her beautiful, almost angelic voice gets lost in the void symbolized by the instrumentation; such a sound portrays that heavy-hearted feeling further. This is especially noticeable on the track "DEMONS", as her vocals turn into shrieks that sound inhuman. The guitar melody on this track reminds me of a Sonic Youth riff — chaotic and noisy.

The album slowly transitions to more calmness and eeriness, her voice getting darker and darker as the album progresses. The track "TO THE FOREST, TOWARDS THE SEA" is instrumental save for the strange phrase she whispers right at the very end — "what's happening to me?", which sounds unsettlingly ghost-like. The song forebodes this phrase throughout the entire song, with dissonant, unsettling notes tangled in noise leading up to that phrase of such uncertainty.

This album is very spooky and strange, and should be played on repeat during this year's Halloween.

Ἀποκάλυψις is out on Tuesday, August 23rd via Pendu Sound Recordings.

Active Child / Cut Copy Show

2011-08-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

Active Child

Cut Copy

At one point during the Cut Copy set, the bassist was standing on top of the drummer's bass drum playing guitar. He was channeling The Who by doing everything short of smashing his guitar, he was swinging it around, along with some pretty intense reverb. The encore was ridiculous, with every single person doing everything they could to jump higher and dance harder. Though I originally had mixed opinions about Zonascope, I am now hooked. This album is tropical and Carribean-esque, different than their earlier work.

Cults

2011-08-03T18:48:00.000-07:00

Cults Debut Album by Cults

At the beginning of the month the entire team went out to see Cults at Club Congress. We made the mistake of having a long dinner beforehand, thus showing up to the venue right when Cults was going on. The show was sold out, and they packed as many people as they could inside — I had never seen the space so full. Unfortunately, we were stuck in the back, unable to see and straining to hear. What I did hear was great, the band came across as excited and filled with energy. I did hear concertgoers mentioning that they did not like the live performance as much as the recordings. This difference in opinion could be due to the fact that the sound reaching me had washed out quite a bit. I'm interested in seeing this band in a space where my senses can fully capture the performance.

Gardens & Villa / Generationals Show

2011-07-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Photos courtesy of Matt.

Gardens & Villa

Generationals

These guys have a lot of energy, and are definitely worth seeing live. Their performance of "Ten-Twenty-Ten" was particularly noteworthy.

Foster the People Show Review 7/05/11

2011-07-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

Foster the People (7/05 @ The Rialto)

Check out their website here.

Foster the People is Indie music's latest buzz band. They recently released their debut album "Torches", and still somehow managed to sell out two venues (Club Congress and the Rialto Theater). Much to my surprise, a mainstream crowd packed the house. The crowd went crazy during the three songs that everyone knew: Pumped Up Kicks, Houdini, and Helena Beat (the latter has become my summer jam, and waiting to hear it live is what kept me going throughout the whole show). A good number of people seemed to be familiar with the whole album, and not just the hits. I went to the show expecting to see an Indie Dance-Rock band, but was presented with an 80s Stadium Rock sound. It sounded as if Phil Collins formed a new band and had taken them on tour; very unexpected.

The band was full of energy, and had multiple percussionists banging away. I appreciated their enthusiasm, but judging by their stage presence it was clear that this was probably the band's first major headlining tour. They had a loud sound, which filled the theater at the Rialto, but I wish I had been able to experience it at the smaller Club Congress. The huge venue left me as a spectator, and not a participant in the antics. Their live presence had a mainstream 80s throwback appeal, these guys are well on their way to a generic multi-decade Alternative FM station near you.

I did stay for the whole show, but only for my song which was saved for last. Helena Beat left me dancing, but after the performance I was forced to reevaluate the band. If you're an Indie asshole, it's time to let them go. If you're okay with dancing to mainstream music and happen to like the 80s, stick with these guys.

Interview with Peaks at Time Market 6/26/11

2011-06-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

(Photo taken by Marcea during a KAMP Student Radio in-studio performance 4/11)

I interviewed Peaks, a local band from Tucson, at Time Market this past Sunday, a day after their first show at Red Room. You can check out a review of the show here. Check out the following audio file for their interview. They're a great group of people, and I had an awesome time interviewing them.

Peaks Interview 6/25/11 by westcoastfix

Peaks Show Review 6/25/11

2011-06-27T16:28:00.000-07:00

Peaks (6/25 @ Red Room)
Check out their website here.

I just want to start off this post by saying: WOW. This was an incredible first live show for an incredible local band. The first song they played, "Dig a Hole", is one of my personal favorites by Peaks, and sounded absolutely stunning live. The sound came pouring out over everyone, straight down to the back walls and forward again, leaving no space uncovered, captivating everyone in the room, as well as everyone in the Grill adjacent. The second song "A Fool in Love (Right Now)" mesmerized the audience further, pulling in people from the street to look in from the outside windows. The allure of this song was its simplicity and familiarity. The sounds in the song are almost doo-wop, in a comforting way, with lyrics sad and complex that relate to a feeling or time in life that nearly every one has probably had. Next they played "Would You Walk" that started out with Holden, bassist, singing very soft backing vocals that continued in a very rhythmic way, even through the start of the verse sung by Prabjit, vocals and guitar. This song had amazing dynamics, and build ups full of tension that peaked exuberantly, and decrescendoed gracefully.

Next they played "Calcium", an homage to the name they used to be called. I was most amazed at Jake's AM clock radio in which he installed an input to hook up to the amp to create noise/fuzz that complimented the song, giving it complexity, the sort of sadness of 4am infomercials that come in with a bit of static. "You, Me" was perhaps the stand-out song of the set, again showcasing their great ability to provide dynamic tension and exploding climaxes. Full buoyant ambient noise washed over everyone in the audience. Tom, lead guitar, shredded like nobody's business during the apex of the song, so tuned into his instrument, expressing the feeling of the song through crunchy and raw effects pedals that rang out aggressively. Jake, drums, seemed to be finely tuned to Tom, building up perfectly in sync with the guitars, providing soft rhythms during the delicate parts of the song, and roaring with fury during the height of the song.

Their last song of the night, "Changing Shape", was gentle, ambient, with intricate guitar work. The two guitars weaved in and out of each other, tangling all the sounds in a bubble drenched in reverb, with the next chords played crisply slicing through the sound like knives. It was graceful, poignant, and a perfect way to end their incredible set.

Watch out for this band, you don't want to miss their next show.

Thao & Mirah Show Photos 6/20/11

2011-06-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

On June 20th Thao Nguyen and Mirah brought their new project Thao & Mirah to the Rhythm Room in Phoenix. Photos courtesy of Matt.

Monster Pussy's "24 Hour Party Pussies!" 7" Record Review

2011-06-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

Monster Pussy (Tucson, AZ) 24 Hour Party Pussies! 7" (Bloat Records)
Check out their facebook page here.

(front and back image of my copy of "24 Hour Party Pussies!")

This record starts off very fun and cute with the track "Invite Me! (To Your All-Girl Party!)". The songs remind me of a mix between the Vaselines (where they took their band name from), All Girl Summer Fun Band, Bratmobile, and other really sassy, fun, 90's bands probably on the Kill Rock Stars label at some point or another. Mullarkey's vocals are endearingly off-key, half spoken/half sung with the occasional backing vocals, bratty and very 90's valley girl intelligentsia, by whom I am assuming is Marie, the drummer.

I flip over to Side B, with a cute kitty cat stretched out on the white label part of the record. "My Subaru" kicks off side B, an upbeat song all about the band's adventures in a radical Subaru car. The second track, "Socialist Butterfly" is composed of interesting chords full of dissonance and melody. Monster Pussy has mastered the art of balancing noise/fuzz and melody on this track. Their theme song, the last track, is the cutest, shortest, most wonderful thing I've ever heard. I want figure out a way to keep it in my pocket wherever I go, for times when I need cheering up. It goes "We're Monster Pussy... and you're cute!" over loud guitars and sporadic, crashing drums. It's perfect, much like the record, in the sort of way that all the imperfections make it endearing, alluring, and fun. This record makes me want to be invited to an all-Monster Pussy party!

Track Listing:
SIDE A
1. Invite Me! (To Your All-Girl Party!) 1:25
2. Four-String No-Show 1:19
3. The Haunted Mix Tape 2:01

SIDE B
1. My Subaru 1:29
2. Socialist Butterfly 1:52
3. Monster Pussy's Theme 0:09

Recommended Tracks: "Invite Me!" and "Socialist Butterfly"

p.s. the record asks that listeners send cat pictures to: monster.puss.tucson@gmail.com.

Super Delux Tucson Local Music Review! (5/21/11 - 6/10/11)

2011-06-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

Monster Pussy (5/21 @ Red Room)

Check out their facebook page here.

Monster Pussy is a band that not only demands attention, but completely captivates its audience. May 21st was my first time seeing Monster Pussy play at the Red Room adjacent to the infamous Grill and even more infamously creepy Wig-O-Rama shop. The Red Room maintains a really important role in the local Tucson music scene; great local music can be heard here almost nightly, always for free, always all ages, always at 10pm. I realize not every city has a venue that's so tightly connected with the artists around it, let alone opening it for free, so it really makes this nightly occurrence something extremely special to Tucsonans.

Lead singer Mullarkey, with pink hair, a bright yellow shirt, and short shorts, thrashed around the tiny room, climbed on top of unused booths, and shook his body violently in true punk rock fashion. Everyone was bopping along, as Mullarkey moved around, singing right face to face with members of the audience, capturing their attention as if he could sense it was about to stray away. How anyone could even look elsewhere during Monster Pussy's performance is beyond me. I was in awe. I am a huge fan of local Tucson musicians but Monster Pussy delivered the kind of sass and attitude I've been searching for. I was especially captivated by the drummer, Marie, who drummed with full force while standing up. I learned this was because of an injury that prevents her from sitting for too long, but I think it really enhanced their performance and the group's aggressive aesthetic. She also provided some background shrieks that was very reminiscent of riot grrl war cries that I've only experienced so far from my Bikini Kill records. Steve, the guitarist, kept everything in motion, making his guitar sound similar to Marie's riot grrl cries in a melodic and interesting way.

Afterwards I met up with Mullarkey and told him how amazing they played. He gave me their new 7", 24 Hour Party Pussies! which I will be reviewing and posting soon.

Electric Blankets (6/7 @ Red Room)
Check out their facebook page here.

This band is very aptly named because their sound is electrifying, warm, fun, and exciting. It might have just been the 90 degree evening, and the sticky room from the swamp cooler... or maybe all those things added to the unique experience of a local band playing on a hot summer evening in Tucson. The drummer was wearing a sailor hat, probably just for the novelty, but he seemed to command the band to have more fun, to dance more, and to enjoy themselves. The lead singer grooved, cowboy boots slipping and sliding all over the floor to the infectious melodies and dreamy fuzz cranked out by the guitarist, fitting the mood of the evening perfectly. I had not heard Electric Blankets before this performance, but I am now a definite fan and will catch them when they play next!

Boreas (6/10 @ Red Room)
Check out their website/blog here.

Boreas captured my heart with beautiful vocal harmonies and love songs written to bicycles. They construct beautiful folk songs with harmonies weaving in and out of each other, dream-like, so fleeting, the way you want something so beautiful to last forever. Their harmonies reminded me a lot of Grizzly Bear, especially on the Veckatimest album. The performance was never dull, as they played in unconventional ways (no shoes, leg resting on a chair, drummer playing standing up, while intermittently playing the keyboard, using a a drumstick to play on the spokes on a loose wheel from a bike, and so on).

They played a cover of one of my favorite Final Fantasy (Owen Pallett) songs, the CN Tower Belongs to the Dead. They did the song beautifully, which is saying a lot since usually am not one to appreciate many cover songs. They're going on tour soon, starting their kickoff date June 23rd at Bicas. Try to catch that show if you can!

Seapony "Where We Go"

2011-06-16T15:19:00.000-07:00

Seapony - Where We Go from Hardly Art on Vimeo.

I've been diggin' Seapony's new album Go With Me which came out on May 31st. It's a dose of good ol' Indie Pop. Pair that with this video highlighting Seattle, and I'm sold.

Chelsea Wolfe

2011-06-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

Chelsea Wolfe - Advice & Vices by P3NdV NYC

Today I received an email about Chelsea Wolfe, a dark Folk artist from California. I was immediately a fan. She uses standard instrumentation to create a really compelling sound. Her debut album Ἀποκάλυψις comes out on August 23rd via Pendu Sound Recordings.

An Horse "Dressed Sharply (Chuck Brody Remix)"

2011-05-31T22:38:00.000-07:00

The recently featured An Horse have released a Chuck Brody remix of their song "Dressed Sharply" from Walls. I've had the pleasure of meeting Chuck Brody, he's a very talented guy, and the remix gives the song a pleasant electropop makeover.

An Horse tour dates:
6/9/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite
6/10/11 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Crepe Place
6/11/11 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
6/29/11 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
6/30/11 – Madison, WI @ East Side Club
7/1/11 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick Lounge
8/6/11 – Chicago, IL @ Lollaplooza
9/16/11 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits

An Horse Interview

2011-05-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

The other week I had a chat with Kate from An Horse on their current US Tour, their new album Walls, and eating in Montreal.

Me: You’re on tour, correct?

Kate: Yes, that’s correct.

What city are you in now?

I don’t know, we’re on a highway and we’re headed across the border into Canada. I think we’re about half an hour from the border.

Nice. What is your favorite Canadian city?

Um, Montreal. Even if I live in Toronto. That might cause trouble if I say that, but that’s the truth.

Oh, you do [live in Toronto]?

Yeah, I was living in Montreal for like two years. But I had to move because my partner got a job and we had to move, which was a bummer. Toronto seems nice, but I haven’t really seen that much of it.

Why did you end up moving to Montreal from Australia?

Because I had a couple of friends there, and for us to do the band in a way which made sense we had to be in North America a lot. It would be expensive to fly back and forth, and I was kind of looking for an adventure. I was bored of living in Brisbane and I wanted to live overseas for a little bit. You know, kind of challenge myself. That’s why I did that.

Does Damon still live in Australia?

Yes, he lives in Melbourne, but he spends a lot of time over here. He’s better at long plane rides than me.

I’ll be in Montreal for POP Montreal. Do you have recommendations of things that I HAVE to see while I’m there?

I was actually just talking to my girlfriend about this ‘cause we’re going to visit friends, and we were just trying to figure out how we could maximize the amount of meals, because you just have to eat.

Haha, okay.

There’s so many good places to eat. Like, Montreal bagels. Once you have a Montreal bagel you’ll never eat another bagel again without thinking of it and wishing that was a Montreal bagel. There’s a lot of amazing food. And it’s just gonna be summer so the park is beautiful, and Mount Royal is beautiful — you have to climb that, that’s what I’d recommend you do. Avoid it on Sunday because of the bongo drums.

Okay, I will have to check that out. And also, you two are friends with Kaki King, correct?

Yes

Okay, well I know her too and I think I saw Damon at that art show thing she had, so that had me wondering…

Oh! Okay!

Yeah, I was in that.

Oh yeah, Damon was over in Brooklyn a while. He stayed over in Brooklyn for a couple months when he could. But then he had to go back to Melbourne because his girlfriend has a job there.

That gave me a new perspective on album art with musicians. So, that had me wondering what relationship your album art plays with your albums.

It’s very important. But, it’s also very hard to get it right, and we’re very fussy about it. It’s interesting because it’s like you spend hours or weeks and months, maybe even years, making music and then you have to make your record cover — and unless you’re an artist you have to hand it over to someone else. You just have to really trust them and be on the same page as them and it can be tricky. It can be tricky getting exactly what you want without offending artistic sensibilities. So, I think it’s really really important but also very difficult to get exactly what you want.

Yeah, that makes sense.

Yeah, so to me the relationship is very important, but it’s a very difficult relationship. I mean, it’s difficult in getting exactly what you want.

Yeah. Well, looking at your album art — were the EP and Rearrange Beds done by a different artist from the newest album?

Kind of…not really, because we just used a photo for this cover. But Celeste, who did the other two covers, did the font, the logo. She actually designed another cover that was a more intricate collage of the photo that we’ve used for posters and all sorts of things. But, we ended up just going with the photo in the end. Celeste was still involved, which is cool, ‘cause she’s great.

I really liked all of them, but those illustrations she does are pretty cool.

Yeah, she’s really good.

Besides the change in the photograph, how else is the new album different from your old stuff?

It’s more interesting sonically. This time around we were making a record. Last time, we weren’t really a band, we just recorded some songs as friends playing in a basement, and some people liked it. Then we got on tour and we were like ‘well, we kinda have to make a record’. It wasn’t a linear progression, where this was definitely: ‘we have to make a record, we have a record label and A&R people’. So, I think it’s much better; I think the songs are stronger. This is the first time in our lives that we didn’t have to work the jobs. You know, come home from touring, go to work. We had more time to write and just do what we wanted to do, which was be artists. So, that was very nice.

Yeah, that’s nice. How do you split it up? Does Damon just write the drum parts and you write everything else, or how does that work?

Well, I usually start with my acoustic guitar and I kind of set the bare structure of the song. Then I send it to Damon, and then he listens to it, and then we get together and kind of flesh it out, arrange it.

So, your producer produced for Tegan and Sara and The New Pornographers.

Yep

When you were looking for a producer were you seeking out someone with that sound? Or how did you end up working with him?

No, we weren’t necessarily. He actually mixed our last record. That was because he was recommended to us by Sara, she A&Rs us. He mixed it remotely, we were in Australia and he was in Vancouver. Then he came out to our first Vancouver show ever, and we met him. We clicked right away. He’s a really great guy, on the same page, listens to a lot of the same music. When he was mixing the record he was saying to us “I really wish I had made this record ‘cause I would have done this, this, and this”, that got us thinking. He was really keen to actually make a record with us, so it just was a logical step.

As far as that sound, when you play does it work best when you have artists that have the same sound as this producer. [Like] Tegan and Sara and you guys. Or has it been like a surprise? Maybe some other genre of music does best when you share a bill.

I think people get worked up about making sure bills are the same, but I think it’s kind of bullshit. I think good music is good music and we’ll happily play with anything that we like. I think that’s the beauty of our band, that we can play with people who are amazing like Tegan and Sara and Kaki, and then we’ll tour with Manchester Orchestra — who are a rock and roll band, a heavy rock and roll band. We can do that and it’s fine. Recently we did a bunch of shows with Alkaline Trio, and people were like “that’s not gonna work, they’re gonna get eaten alive”. I was like “are you joking? It’s not the 90s, man”. It’s music, and the crowd at Alkaline Trio was great. I think it’s easy to get caught up in, maybe from being in a band or being an artist, you realize that it’s just music. Maybe it’s easier to get your head around from that perspective, I’m not sure. But, like I said, we’ll play with anything that’s good.

What have been you favorite artists to share a bill with?

We’ve been so lucky and we’ve got to play with so many great bands. We’ve been blessed. I couldn’t even choose one because we’ve got to tour with so many great people that to choose one would be unfair. They’re all wonderful…pretty much. I mean, 98 percent.

Has there been any really bizarre tour experiences that stand out?

There’s been plenty of bizarre tour experiences. Plenty, but too many to share. You can’t always name names, you know what I’m saying?

Yeah

Haha

During the difficult parts of touring, I’m sure it gets rough always being on the road, how do you cope with that?

I cry a lot, I’m a wimp. I make my girlfriend come out and take a week off her holidays when she should be relaxing, and sit in a van with me. I do things like that. Terrible, I’m a terrible person.

Haha

I also Skype a lot, with my family.

That’s nice. On that note: I read that family health issues influenced this album. I was wondering if writing it and touring it helped you through it at all. Or, did it make it more difficult?

Well…the difficult part was when we were on tour and I wasn’t writing. So, it didn’t really help at all. I guess afterwards writing it might have helped, I’m not really sure. I haven’t really thought too much about it actually. Playing it now I just kind of have detached myself a little from the situation. Yeah.

Do you see yourself being a touring band for the rest of your career?

No, no, no. It’s kind of what you have to do. We’d like to get to the point where we don’t have to tour as extensively, that’s for sure. I mean playing shows…we’ll always play shows, that’s a lot of fun. But, maybe not for four months at a time.

Yeah, definitely. Well, off in the future do you have any career changes that you are thinking about?

Ah, maybe every second day I do. But, I don’t know. I just let whatever happens happen. And, I’ll figure it out as I go along.

Yeah, just go with the flow.

Yeah

Well, that is all I have.

Excellent

Thank you so much.

Thank you

Telekenisis and Unknown Mortal Orchestra Show Review 5/9/11

2011-05-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

I will preface with a word of advice that I've picked up these past few months: Go to any show you have the faintest interest in. I only went to shows if I knew the band really well, and I think I missed out on a lot of cool stuff doing that. Lately I have songs/albums on heavy rotation from bands that I wouldn't have known about if I didn't go to the shows (Pepper Rabbit, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, etc). It's also a pretty cool feeling, knowing what life was like in the music realm pre-internet, where people had to go out and witness so many shows to find those special bands. Also, you get the benefit of saying "I saw them before they got big, playing to a crowd of only 4 other people". You feel kind of cool. So, GO.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Portland) opened to a lonely crowd of about five people. I was sitting down on the side watching, bobbing my head, amazed. It was an original burst of psychedelic Indie Pop/Funk/guitar shreds left and right, and dreamy reverbed (is that a word?) vocals and melodies. They reminded me of the Jackson 5 reincarnated in 2011 indie pop. I couldn't believe that such a radical band was only playing to an empty room of a few people, all sitting down... I wanted to stand up, and jam out, but nobody wants to be that loser dancing in an empty room by themselves. Regardless, they were great, catching the audience by total surprise with their ridiculously infectious funk/pop. After the show I had a brief conversation with the bassist, who told me their album will come out 21 June. Be on the look out, this group is pretty amazing for only being together for 3 months. In the meantime, check out their website.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - How Can U Luv Me

Telekinesis (Seattle) took the stage to only about a crowd of 10 people. As they checked their mics, they called everyone up to the front of the stage, learning our names, and having conversations with us. It felt like an intimate basement show; they were excited to play to new people in a new city, and we all couldn't wait to dance with each other and joke with the band some more. They played any song we wanted to hear, I requested "Dirty Thing" off of their new album 12 Desperate Straight Lines. With every upbeat song, the ten of us roared into a dancing frenzy, taking our neighbor by the hand and dancing around. One girl had a bottle of cheap wine that was being passed around, and the bottle even made it up to the band to take swigs from. It was one of the most fun and enjoyable shows I've ever been to. I walked into the venue being somewhat of a Telekinesis fan, only knowing them by name and by the few songs I played from their new album on my radio show. After this experience, I'm a full-fledged Telekinesis fan. After the show I thanked Michael Lerner (vocals/drums) for such a wonderful show, and he thanked me for coming. The band had such a great attitude that turned a bummer situation of a tiny crowd into one of the most fun shows. I left, biking home with friends, with a big grin on my face.

Telekinesis - Dirty Thing

The Submarines and Pepper Rabbit Show Review 5/5/11

2011-05-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

I was unfamiliar with both The Submarines (LA) and Pepper Rabbit (LA) before I went to the show. Nina called me up and asked if I wanted to go as a +1, and seeing that I can't ever refuse a free show, I decided to tag along. Pepper Rabbit opened for The Submarines, and I have to say this was one of the rare times where I strongly preferred the opener to the main act. They were cute without being sickeningly so, polite, timid, well-dressed dudes. The vocals were dreamy, bouncing around the room in a way only pop music from California could. The backing vocals had sweet, haunting harmonies drenched in reverb that gave the music a hollowed out, nostalgic feeling. The shimmering guitars and echoed vocals reminded me of music for sluggish summer days where you have nothing better to do but think about your past while remembering simultaneously all the good times and all the mistakes you made. The scenery of Tucson, the hot stuffy brick lined room with the door open in the back, enhanced the performances of both The Submarines and Pepper Rabbit. The train rolled by and whistled so rhythmically, perfectly in sync. I found my body swaying to the sound of wind rushing past, and my eyes gazing out the open door, fixated on the train and its perfect soundtrack.

Pepper Rabbit - Harvest Moon

Pepper Rabbit - "Harvest Moon" Video from stereogum on Vimeo.

Shortly after Pepper Rabbit, The Submarines took the stage. Immediately I was amazed at how great Blake Hazard's vocals sounded live, and how well hers and John Dragonetti's sounded together. As I watched, swaying to and fro, it was so evident that this group really loves what they are doing, which made the show really enjoyable to watch. All pretense was gone; maybe it was because of the small venue, but the audience had a strong connection with the band, and vice versa. Blake made cute interjections in between her songs such as "here's a little something about a swimming pool" and "les asses were kicked". Some of the songs were a bit trite lyrically, but their sincerity more than compensated for it. While the band didn't exude coolness, they did exude cuteness and an earnestness that is pretty rare in the indie-music realm.

The Submarines - Xavia

The Submarines | "Xavia" from Kai Pena on Vimeo.

Calcium

2011-05-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

Calcium, an experimental, ethereal, and beautifully melodic local band right from Tucson, Arizona stopped by the University of Arizona KAMP student radio studio to perform four songs. Prabjit (vocals and guitar), Tom (guitar), Holden (Bass), and Jake (Drums) played four songs, starting with upbeat and adventurous themes in the first two songs they played, Sunbeams go to the sky! and Rock Hard Candied Caramel. The set gracefully transitioned into nostalgic, dreamy, and melancholic songs such as 100,000 Needles and Weekend Anonymity, all while maintaining a youthful and fresh sound. Check out their website for downloads of some of their songs.

Audio:

Sun Beams Go the Sky!
Rock Hard Candied Caramel
100,000 Needles
Weekend Anonymity

Calcium - Sun Beams Go the Sky! KAMP RADIO In-studio. from Marcea Decker on Vimeo.

WELCOME, New Writer

2011-05-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

Exciting news! West Coast Fix is expanding. The amount of content flowing in to be considered has become too much for me to handle on my own. I'm thankful that my friend Marcea agreed to write for the site. You can check out her interests at Sarcastic Bliss. Send her a warm welcome / content to consider / love notes at marcea at westcoastfix dot com.

Thao & Mirah Album Review

2011-04-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

Two of Indie Folk's heaviest hitters have teamed up to release an album. Thao Nguyen of Thao and the Get Down Stay down has joined Mirah for "Thao & Mirah". Merrill Garbus (aka tUnE-YarDs) produced the record. Thao and Mirah are wonderfully consistant in their songwriting, and this joining of forces comes as one of the best surprises.

In the opening track Eleven, the lead vocals are split and tUnE-YarDs provides backing vocals and a heavy percussive influence. This song is the one with the most mass appeal. In the next track "Folks", Thao takes the vocals. By track three "Little Cup", lead vocals are passed back to Mirah. "Little Cup" is the strongest track on the album, it is delicate, precious, and angsty. "Rubies and Rocks" is almost as catchy as the opening track, while "Spaced Out Orbit" fits right in with Mirah's best solo work. Another strong track is "How Dare You", a call and response between the two artists.

The songs where Mirah takes the reigns are the stronger ones. Thao's songs are good, but it's hard to compete with Mirah's genius. The album comes across as a Mirah record, with a wonderful boost from Thao Nguyen. This is more than a possible contendor for the top ten albums of the year.

Tracklisting:
1. Eleven 
2. Folks 
3. Little Cup 
4. Rubies and Rocks 
5. Teeth 
6. Spaced Out Orbit 
7. How Dare You 
8. Sugar and Plastic 
9. Likable Man 
10. Hallelujah 
11. Squareneck

"Thao and Mirah" is out today on Kill Rock Stars. The band is coming to Phoenix to play the Rhythm Room on June 20th.

Wye Oak

2011-03-14T23:58:00.000-07:00

I have had Wye Oak's new album Civilian on repeat for weeks. Each song is sophistically crafted Folk that has managed to haunt my thoughts...until I hear the next track. They are playing Solar Culture on Monday (Callers is opening) and will have a to-be-announced instore that day.

2010: Songs, Best Of. Part Two

2011-01-03T22:56:00.000-08:00

5. Kaki King - Spit It Back In My Mouth

4. Lissie - In Sleep (Live)

3. Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

2. Sky Ferreira - One

1. Beach House - Norway

2010: Songs, Best Of. Part One

2010-12-12T10:18:00.000-08:00

10. Best Coast - Boyfriend
The lyrics are trite, but this song captures the essence of summer. Best Coast is not afraid to sing about the secrets we usually keep inside.

9. Sufjan Stevens - I Walked
In his latest album, Sufjan embraces electronic music. This song clearly shows that he has mastered another genre.

8. Holly Miranda - Everytime I Go To Sleep
Holly's skinny frame is not the most likely candidate for such a soulful voice, but she is one of the best. The Blues influence of her hometown of Detroit meshes perfectly with her lyrical genius.

7. iamamiwhoami - b
Her true identity has not been officially revealed, but Youtube phenomena iamamiwhoami is the work of Jonna Lee. Like all her songs, "b" is both otherworldly and comforting.

6. CocoRosie - Lemonade
This is the leading single off my favorite album of the year. Sierra and Bianca seem like they have so much wisdom to share through their music, and this song is easily the most accessible.

2010: Albums, Best Of

2010-12-05T08:53:00.000-08:00

This year was a prolific one in terms of album releases. 2010's quality is comparable to that of 2009's.

10. Holly Miranda - "The Magician's Private Library"
The long-awaited solo debut from The Jealous Girlfriends' front-woman.

9. Yeasayer - "Odd Blood"
While electronic in nature, this album comes across as organic — a soundtrack for life experiences.

8. Janelle Monáe - "The ArchAndroid"
Monáe's debut has received much praise, often described as the best album in the past few years.

7. Mumford & Sons - "Sigh No More"
British folk-rock featuring amazing vocals and even better lyrics.

6. The Dead Weather - "Sea of Cowards"
Jack White and Alison Mosshart's second joint effort, beautiful blues infused garage-rock.

5. Kaki King - "Junior"
The fifth studio album from one of my favorite artists and role models.

4. Arcade Fire - "The Suburbs"
The band "who saved Indie" once again show they have mastered their genre.

3. Maximum Balloon - "Maximum Balloon"
David Sitek from TV on the Radio's solo album. Features a slew of guest artists, from Karen O to the previously mentioned Holly Miranda.

2. Crystal Castles - "Crystal Castles (II)"
They are most famous for their crazy antics, but this body of work shows off their high level of musicianship.

1. CocoRosie - "Grey Oceans"
Sierra and Bianca constantly break the confines of genre and gender; their live show is a life-changing experience.

The Ascetic Junkies

2010-12-03T14:09:00.000-08:00

Why Do Crows? from Ascetic Junkies on Vimeo

Portland based band The Ascetic Junkies have a new album out featuring excellent indie-folk. Check out their very cute video for their song "Why Do Crows?".

Hesta Prynn: "Can We Go Wrong"

2010-10-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

My girl Hesta Prynn has released an amazing new video for her song Can We Go Wrong. It's a beautiful stop-motion piece, I don't even want to imagine how much work must have went into this.

This New Yorker is embarking on a Cali tour next week

Thurs 10/14 - Long Beach

Fri - 10/15 - Los Angeles DJ Set

Sat - 10/16 - Los Angeles

Mon 10/18 - San Diego

Weds 10/20 - San Francisco

Sky Ferreira "Obsession"

2010-10-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

My newest favorite thing Sky Ferreira has released the video for her first US single "Obsession". She's one of the freshest things happening in pop right now. This video successfully captures the spirit of and criticizes pop music and popular culture. (also, I really want hair like hers)

Glasser: "Ring"

2010-09-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

The debut album from Glasser comes out this Tuesday. Glasser is Cameron Mesirow's dark Post-Pop project. She's toured with the xx and Jonsí, those are pretty good indicators of what she sounds like. This is reminiscent of Animal Collective, but is darker and much more beautiful. This album is filled with dark synth sounds, drums that remind me of the jungle, and lots of whooping. I bet this would sound amazing while on drugs. My two favorite tracks are the openers, Apply and Home.

ROCK THE VOTE!

2010-09-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

Hi friends. I hope you're already registered to vote, but if you're not Rock the Vote is an excellent way to sign up. This organization goes out to all the major music festivals and has support from a tremendous number of artists. Voting is something I'm passionate about, I'll be out at the Spoon and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros shows volunteering to get people signed up. Make sure your voice is heard!

It's really easy, click the button below - you don't even have to leave this page!

Jenny & Johnny FREE STUFF FRIDAYS

2010-09-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

Jenny Lewis and Jonathan Rice recently released their new album "I'm Having Fun Now" under the name Jenny and Johnny. I've had this album on repeat for weeks in my car, it's stayed in the stereo since I first put it in. Jenny Lewis has proven her genius on many previous albums, but this new collaboration keeps her material fresh. If you're a Rilo Kiley fan or a fan of Jenny's solo work be sure to pick this album up, you will not be disappointed. My favorite tracks are "Scissor Runner", "My Pet Snakes", "Big Wave", and "Straight Edge of the Blade". This one will stay on repeat for a while longer.

This is the first installment of Free Stuff Fridays! If you would like a Jenny and Johnny "I'm Having Fun Now" promo poster send me an email at nina@westcoastfix.com by Thursday September 16th, I'll choose one winner.

MSTRKRFT Improves "California Gurls"

2010-08-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to share this for a while. This song makes me miss my previous car (a Jeep). I'm sure that being a California girl has made me like this tune a little too much, and now MSTRKRFT have taken away the guilt.

Freezepop West Coast Tour

2010-08-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

Freezepop is a synthpop quartet from Boston and has been in existence for more than a decade. I've been a fan of this band since my sophomore year of high school. Their fun synthesizer sounds entertained me back then, and their well-crafted songs keep me hooked today. Freezepop's music has been featured in the likes of Dance Dance Revolution, The L Word, and Arthur. The band hasn't had a full length release since 2007 and have plans to release a new album in late 2010.

You may be wondering "how is this band relevant to my west coast interests?". Well, Freezepop is playing Arizona next month not once, but twice - along with the rest of the west coast (dates at freezepop.com).

They play Club Mardi Gras in Scottsdale on Friday, September 17th, 21+. The next day the band will play KoLCon VII in Mesa. KoL appears to be some type of message board, you can investigate for yourself

If you need an introduction to the band check out this clever video someone made featuring my favorite Freezepop song.

The Weepies: "Be My Thrill"

2010-08-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

New animated video for The Weepies' "Be My Thrill". Their new release is due at the end of the month. They're in Tucson November 22nd at Plush.

Jenny and Johnny: “Scissor Runner” Free Download

2010-08-06T23:52:00.000-07:00

Jenny and Johnny are Jenny Lewis and Jonathan Rice. Their debut album I'm Having Fun Now is out August 31st. For now, you can download their track "Scissor Runner" for free. This album kind of reminds me of The Pretenders and late 70s/early 80s rock. If you are in Arizona and are hoping to catch them live, you're out of luck. The band is boycotting the state due to SB 1070. All other dates are on their MySpace (plenty of California).

Lady Gaga: July 31st, Phoenix

2010-08-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I drove down to Phoenix to see the infamous Lady Gaga. It was better than Halloween, nearly everyone was dressed up. There was plenty of caution tape, telephone hats, and Alejandros to go around. Four hours before Gaga was scheduled to appear the floor began to fill up. The night began with a "DJ set" by Lady Starlight. She played hard rock vinyls while drinking whiskey out of the bottle and doing interpretive dances. After that was the high energy glam-rock Semi Precious Weapons. The lead singer hopped around wildly in his fabulous heels.

At 9 PM a video screen descended with visuals of Lady Gaga jumping and twirling, eventually giving way to her silhouette singing "Dance in the Dark". Her performance was incredible, she has great stage presence and an excellent singing voice. As expected, there were many nods to her LGBT audience - informing them of how special they were and how much they meant to her.
Gaga gave an SB 1070 speech, which has since become a viral video. The crowd felt like Lady Gaga was rooting for them, which showed in their enthused cheering. If you have a chance to go to the Monster Ball it is necessary that you do.

Best Coast "Crazy For You" Album Review

2010-07-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

Lo-Fi and Surf Pop are everywhere these days. Bethany Cosentino is one of the latest to hop on the bandwagon with her band Best Coast. It's no surprise that she's dating Nathan from Wavves, and Vivian Girls' ex drummer Ali Koehler has joined the band. No matter how many famous friends she has, Bethany's own story is compelling. It's the story of a So-Cal beach bum who moved to New York for college. Like any west-coaster knows, New York is a ton of fun — but California is home. As soon as Bethany made it back to Los Angeles she met up with Bobb Bruno and Best Coast was born.

Crazy For You opens up with "Boyfriend", by far the catchiest song on the album. The opening track is bound to get stuck in your head, and who can't relate to wishing for a friend to be so much more than a friend? The next track "Crazy For You" shows off the same energy and enthusiasm as Vivian Girls, but has the musical understanding and hooks that makes Dum Dum Girls so pleasant to listen to. By track number three I'm reminded of the 60s and the Jenny Lewis of today.

Best Coast don't take themselves too seriously, and for that I am thankful. In "Goodbye" Bethany sings "...nothing makes me happy, not even TV or a bunch of weed". The description seems comical, but if you've ever smoked weed and watched TV you know it's almost impossible to refrain from laughing. Overall, this is the perfect album to turn on during the lazy summer heat. Songs such as "When the Sun Don't Shine" and "Happy " will inspire you to get off your computer and go outside. Closing track "When I'm With You" is the perfect wrap up of this soundtrack of summer, giving off feelings of a fulfilling day.

The debut album from this band is genuinely good music. One of the only qualms I have with "Crazy For You" is the continuous focus on yearning for a significant other. This theme seems a little overdone, but summer love is a real topic of obsession for many young adults. If you're from California, these songs will remind you of home — making you wish you were lazing around with the beach in sight. Hopefully Best Coast can figure out how to mature this sound for a sophomore album.

"Crazy For You" comes out tomorrow, July 27th. Pick it up at your independent record store or Mexican Summer.

Best Performances of the Year (So Far)

2010-07-22T23:32:00.000-07:00

5. Metric (March 17th, Tempe, Arizona)
The band put on a wonderful performance, even though they were playing to a crowd of drunk assholes. This band is full of energy, but the organizers should have rethought placing them in an Irish Punk lineup. Someone actually threw a shoe at them, Emily shrugged it off by thanking the crowd. I had the pleasure of seeing them in an intimate acoustic setting in December. The crowd at that performance gave them a chance to show off their wisdom and musicianship.

4. Silversun Pickups (July 17th, Tempe, Arizona)
After a 50 minute wait to get into the venue (unarguably the worst planning by a venue I have ever encountered) I caught the night's headlining band. The large theater was absolutely packed and the crowd went nuts once they began to play. Silversun Pickups were overflowing with explosive sound, but were all smiles. They told the crowd that they were honored to be playing to so many people, their excitement shone through during their performance.

3. The Mynabirds (July 10th, Tucson, Arizona)
I cannot stress how much I love this band. Their recordings sound amazing, but their live performance is phenomenal. Lead singer Laura Burhenn's soulfoul voice and warm personality are a perfectly inviting combination. Laura was perfectly in tune with the crowd and her surroundings. This was the first time I have ever seen an encore demanded by a crowd at an informal patio show.

2. St. Vincent (February 11th, Phoenix, Arizona)
I'm sure I don't have to mention how adorable Annie Clark aka St. Vincent is. Her voice is sweet, yet packs a punch — she was made to play on stage. Her lyrics are overtly cynical, juxtaposing gorgeously flowing melodies. She described her latest album Actor as being disturbing Disney music, and she pulls it off well. I spoke with Annie after the show, I am not exaggerating when I say she is one of the most caring people I have ever met.

1. CocoRosie (June 24th, Vancouver, BC)
photo by Nina2
The eclecticism of this pair of sisters is unmatched by any current act. Bianca remained very serious while singing her eerie vocals. Sierra ecstatically bounced around stage, showing off operatically trained vocals. The crowd was in love with them. CocoRosie's live beatboxer sent the audience into a frenzy, he emitted sounds that I never believed a human could make.

Sky Ferreira

2010-07-22T03:59:00.000-07:00

Sky Ferreira is one of my favorite new aritsts on the path to stardom. "One" is the perfect pop song, I've been addicted to it for weeks. This LA artist is only 18 and has already worked with acts such as Uffie and Steve Aoki. She's sure to become a fashion icon (check out her amazing Miike Snow cover).

New Site

2010-07-22T03:56:00.000-07:00

I have officially launched the new site, and am excited for the new focus. Feel free to send me an email, follow West Coast Fix on Twitter, or submit a track via Soundcloud. Links are on the side of the page.

Keep it chill!

The Mynabirds - They Get It

2010-07-16T00:15:00.000-07:00

from myspace

I would like to begin to ease into the upcoming name change for the blog and the new west coast focus. Last Saturday I saw The Mynabirds at Club Congress in Tucson. The band was absolutely lovely, and the crowd couldn't get enough - demanding an encore after their patio performance. Lead singer Laura Burhenn is full of soul and graciously adorable. What pleased me the most about this band was their invitation to a local anti-SB 1070 organization, who set up a table. So many bands are boycotting Arizona, it's nice to see a change of pace from a group who gets it. The crowd of Arizonans felt appreciated and many signed up with the organization. The final solution must come from within.

This band surpassed my expectations, and I will continue to champion them. They're back at Club Congress with Crooked Fingers on September 5th.

Albums of the Year (So Far)

2010-07-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

10. Yeasayer - Odd Blood
9. jj - no 3
8. Beach House - Teen Dream
7. The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards
6. Marina and the Diamonds - The Family Jewels
5. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
4. Janelle Monáe – The ArchAndroid
3. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (II)
2. Kaki King - Junior
1. CocoRosie - Grey Oceans

Next week this blog is getting official and we will begin to focus on the west coast. Do you have any clever ideas for a new name, or do you like the current one?

CocoRosie - June 24th, Vancouver

2010-07-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

The day after my birthday I went to see CocoRosie at the Vogue in Vancouver, BC. I couldn't have asked for a better present (besides the cake my friends made me). I wasn't sure what to expect from CocoRosie's live performance, but it blew me away. Many of the songs sounded much more organic live, largely fueled by Sierra's beautiful vocals. She was happily bouncing around the stage while Bianca seriously sang her parts. The highlight of the show was definitely the beatbox solo (video I found on YouTube above) by Tez, their live beatboxer. The Vancouver crowd was more invested in the show than any other audience I've been a part of.

The Mynabirds

2010-06-12T01:40:00.000-07:00

The Mynabirds is the female half of Georgie James' new project. Now that Laura Burhenn is out on her own she really has the chance to shine. Her soulful voice is very reminiscent of the 60s.

The Mynabirds are playing a FREE show on the Club Congress patio at 7 PM on July 10th. I will definitely be there.

The City [Mix]

2010-06-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

As a part of a mix exchange I'm a part of I had to create a mix based on the image below. Here's the narrative I came up with in fifteen songs. Listen to it in one go if you can.

Sea of Cowards

2010-05-03T23:16:00.000-07:00

The new Dead Weather album Sea of Cowards comes out May 11th. They've added dates to their tour, I might catch them in San Diego in July. Check out their video for "Die By the Drop".

SAINTHOOD Giveaway

2010-04-27T00:44:00.000-07:00

BIG NEWS: electrotrash is giving away Tegan and Sara's latest album "Sainthood" on vinyl, it includes the CD version! Thanks to new all vinyl webstore - Because Sound Matters. It's easy to enter, all you have to do is go to Twitter and tweet:

I want to win Tegan and Sara's Sainthood on vinyl from @electrotrash_ and @soundmatters! #sainthoodBSM http://bit.ly/9RW60C

If you follow me on Twitter at @electrotrash_ I'll DM you if you win. Remember that if your Twitter is private I can't see your entry! Don't have Twitter? Talk to me, I might let you enter through Facebook. But really, we're in 2010 - you should be on Twitter. You have two whole weeks to enter, the contest ends May 11th at 11:59 PM PST. I'll tweet the winner on May 12th. Enter as many times as you like, but the winner will be selected at random. I'll tally all the entries and have my roommate pick a random number, she can be coerced with giftcards to Applebees (jk!).

About Sainthood:
Produced by Chris Walla and Howard Redekopp. Mixed by Dave Sardy. Recorded at Sound City (Los Angeles) and Two Sticks (Seattle).

Tegan and Sara's sixth studio album - Sainthood - addresses secular themes of devotion, delusion, and exemplary behavior in the pursuit of love andrelationships. Inspired by emotional longing and the quiet actions wehope may be noticed by the objects of our affection, Sainthood is about obsession with romantic ideals.

In the service of relationships we practice being perfect. We practice our sainthood in the hope that we will be rewarded with adoration.As we are driven to become anything for someone else,we sometimes become martyrs for our cause.

Love, like faith, can never be held in an individual's hands. But the story of a great love affair - especially one that is unrequited or has ended too soon - can be woven like scripture or a bedtime story. And so the themes ofSainthood are tied together by this simple title, borrowed, with great respect, from the lyrics of the Leonard Cohen song "Came So Far For Beauty: "

I practiced all my sainthood
I gave to one and all
But the rumours of my virtue
They moved her not at all

Track Listing:
* Arrow
* Don't Rush
* Hell
* On Directing
* Red Belt
* The Cure
* Northshore
* Night Watch
* Alligator
* Paperback Head
* The Ocean
* Sentimental Tune
* Someday

She's Obsessed With the Mess That's America

2010-04-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

I think she's got it down pat.

Jónsi - Go Do

2010-04-03T02:04:00.000-07:00

Jónsi - Go Do from Jónsi on Vimeo.

Hot List

2010-03-19T20:08:00.000-07:00

Things I am really into right now:

-Harlem

-Dum Dum Girls

-She & Him - "In the Sun"/Volume 2

-RUTH FLOWERS

SXSW Week

2010-03-15T10:45:00.001-07:00

It's SXSW week! Sadly, I will not be there - but I will be next year, and that's a promise. If you are going to be hanging around Austin this week here's some free stuff (ie; no pass needed) I would check out.

Schubas' 14th Annual SXSW Round-Up
Threadless is sponsoring this party on Thursday at the Yard Dog Gallery - 1510 S Congress. It starts at noon, show up to get some free Threadless swag. Follow the link to register. Bands include Freelance Whales, The Hood Internet, and Japandroids.

The Hype Machine's Lose Control 2
This is a whole bunch of madness happening Thursday through Saturday, 12PM-2AM every day. It's going down on three floors at Vice (6th Street + San Jacinto). They're giving out free breakfast the first hour they're open each day, and the following seven hours it's a VIP lounge for bloggers. Follow the link for more info and to RSVP. Bands include Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Rye Rye, Toro y Moi, Uffie, Villains, YACHT, and You Say Party! We Say Die!.

Nico Vega

2010-02-27T20:51:00.000-08:00

No time for posts! I hope to have another SXSW post up soon. For now check out Nico Vega. I saw them this week, one of the best performances so far this year. The lead singer channels both Brody Dalle and Lady Gaga, with plenty of claw for you little monsters. She's also quite charming, so if you get a chance be sure to chat with her.

2010-02-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

Vote for this here.

Mumford & Sons

2010-02-06T19:12:00.000-08:00

I just listened to "Sigh No More", the debut album from Mumford & Sons. I recommend you do the same when it comes out on the 16th. This is the first possible contender for album of the year, and I have a feeling that it will definitely make the top 10.

NINJA

2010-02-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

Oh my god. This shit is blowing my mind right now. It's like Major Lazer meets M.I.A. meets Uffie but weirder.

Not to mention their website is amazing.

Via @katemoross.

I'm Laughing With a Mouth Full of Blood

2010-02-04T16:12:00.000-08:00

New St. Vincent video for "Laughing With A Mouth Full Of Blood". Seven days until I'm graced by her presence, seven days.

St. Vincent - "Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood"

st. vincent | MySpace Music Videos

How did I not realize until just now that that's Carrie Brownstein?

Things You Should Probably Watch Now

2010-02-03T20:32:00.000-08:00

FAN DEATH

2010-02-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

Fan Death, on tour with Little Boots and Dragonette. I might go out to Pomona for this one.

THE KNIFE

2010-01-28T22:38:00.000-08:00

Listen to the Knife opera in its entirety! Buy it next month! I love NPR!

Annie

2010-01-22T11:02:00.000-08:00

I have Annie's new album "Don't Stop" on repeat. It came out in November, and is the best thing I've gotten around to listening to in 2010.

Remembering How I Love Seattle

2010-01-11T23:02:00.000-08:00

My first discovery of 2010! Megan Washington AKA Washington. I really like this video for the song "How To Tame Lions" - 'Keep It Simple Stupid' applies to more than your high school English essays.

Look Ahead, 2010

2010-01-07T23:41:00.000-08:00

Let's start this decade off right. Here's three albums being released this year that you should be super excited about.

#3. Beach House - Teen Dream
With a January 26th release date, you can already pre-order this album. This record seems bound to drag Beach House into the limelight, I mean...have you heard the first single!?

#2. Holly Miranda - The Magician's Private Library
Holly has signed with XL Recordings and is releasing her first full-length on February 23rd. You shouldn't need much more convincing than this. Watch it all, it might change your life.

#1. The Knife In Collaboration with Mt. Sims and Planningtorock - Tomorrow, In a Year
THE KNIFE. WROTE. AN OPERA. Isn't that crazy!? Everyone loves The Knife! Karin Dreijer Andersson’s solo record was my #2 of 2009. Now we can once more enjoy this defunct band. Plus....it's an opera! Just after the 3 minute mark Karin's vocals come in, amazing. The two-disc set is due out March 1st.

2009, Albums

2010-01-06T22:42:00.000-08:00

The new year is upon us. Hopefully you have been keeping good on those New Years resolutions you made, I know I have. Now that we've forgotten the bad I'm here to remind us of the good that happened in 2009.

#10. St. Vincent — Actor
Annie Clark (the woman behind the saint) has described this as a Disney fairytale, except dark. Her angelic voice singing about pain and madness touches the sadistic part of my heart. I won't even mention the unbelievable orchestration. There's something very therapeutic about hearing her beautiful voice singing "I think I love you, I think I'm mad".

#9. Tegan and Sara — Sainthood
Hopefully you obsessively played this album for weeks after it came out. It took a full listen for me to "get" this album, but once I hit Someday (the closing track) I almost bawled. Sainthood didn't quite move me to tears like their previous album The Con did, but I attribute that to their growth. These songs are much more mature and fleshed out, as opposed to their previous work — which sounded like being in the midst of a breaking heart.

#8. Patrick Wolf — The Bachelor
Wolf's huge musical leap from his 2007 album "The Magic Position" caught me by complete surprise. I wasn't a huge fan of the previous album, but he upped the ante on this one. "The Bachelor" is much darker and much more serious. Patrick Wolf has proven himself as a man who isn't afraid to take risks. Strong lyrics and a medley of instruments such as strings and chimes come together — into what I can only describe as a soundtrack for some sort of epic quest.

#7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs — It's Blitz!
In a year that felt dominated by darkness and minor chords came this dance-rock album. This trio evolved from their punk sound, to the dismay of many of their fans. The change was a good move, I would have been disappointed if they had brought more of the same. "It's Blitz!" is a smart dance album, perfect for rainy afternoon impromptu dance parties.

#6. Lily Allen — It's Not Me, It's You
This release brings conscientious and critical pop. It points out some of the worst aspects of popular culture without playing the saint. The song The Fear pokes fun at the race for fame and glamor, but you know it's not all in irony. The key to maturity is accepting who you are, and that's what Lily Allen does in this album. No one is perfect, but you can at least point out what your faults are.

#5. Lady Gaga — The Fame Monster
Gaga has proved herself to be the reigning princess of pop. Right when the world was getting over her club jams she brought a whole new round — this time influenced by horror movies! She knows how to get into people's heads, how many times did you exclaim "rah rah rah ah ah!" ? Monster brought the best lyrics of the year, the first ones I sang out loud as 2010 rang in — "he ate my heart and then he ate my brain".

#4. Bat For Lashes — Two Suns
Like all life-changing albums, you remember exactly what you were doing when you first heard them. I was working on an art project at 3 AM when I heard this one. I felt something in me change a little bit. "Two Suns" brings a new dimension to what people are capable of creating. Enchanting lyrics, an extensive vocal range, and plenty of harpsichord — there is nothing this album doesn't have.

#3. Metric — Fantasies
I don't think this album could be any more excellent. Every song is perfectly crafted indie-rock. There is just enough dissonance and catchy lyrics present. The persistent drums and heavy guitars provide the right amount of juxtaposition to Emily Haines' vocals. This album certainly doesn't "stay away from the hooks".

#2. Fever Ray — Fever Ray
If Halloween were to have a soundtrack, this wouldn't be it — this album is too distant for such a thing. Both tribal and electronic, Karin Dreijer Andersson (Fever Ray) causes nature and technology to collide. If creepy things were to emerge from the forest at night, this is surely what would be playing. We would then see that these creatures are just misunderstood. Fever Ray shows how perfect the imperfect is.

#1. N.A.S.A. — Spirit of Apollo
With around 60 guests this album has something for everyone. Combining the best of electronic, rock, and hip-hop; each jam is club-ready. Songs go into each other seamlessly, making it feel more like an odyssey than 17 consecutive songs. Pairing the unexpected has led to some of the guest artists' best performances. Having artists such as Chuck D and David Byrne or Kanye West and Lykke Li on the same track was certainly risky, but the DJs behind N.A.S.A. came out on top.

Artists of 2009

2009-12-24T17:24:00.001-08:00

DOWNLOAD THE PLAYLIST

Her latest album wasn't necessarily on the forefront this year, but it was filled with gems. She had a year of amazing live performances.

If 'It's Blitz!' doesn't make you want to get up and jump around you are neither human nor dancer.

A huge year for this soon-to-be-huge singer/songwriter. Touring with hot artists such as the XX and AA Bondy. See her on the upcoming Tegan and Sara US tour.

An amazing new album, and a string of visually stunning music videos.

She has a fan in BB King, who is taking her all over the United States to open for him

Appearing out of nowhere to become the next big thing. Their success was so drastic that they lost a band member in the process.

Their new album 'Fantasies' is excellent, and they had a tour full of raved-about shows.

This was a huge year for her, she's even in a Coca Cola commercial now.

Their new album #Sainthood was the number three trending topic on Twitter, and surpassed Halloween.

Rah rah rah ah ah! She only had the best video of the year!

10 Songs of 09

2009-12-22T00:58:00.000-08:00

My 10 songs of 2009.

click to download playlist

10. Hesta Prynn - Le Coq Aux Folles

9. Awesome New Republic - Birthday (ft. Leighton Meester)

8. Tegan and Sara - Hell

Tegan & Sara - Subterranean - MTV Shows

7. The xx - Crystalised

6. Holly Miranda - Exfactor (Lauryn Hill Cover)
From like...2005. But Black Cab Sessions just put it up. So it stays.

5. Tiësto - Feel It In My Bones (ft. Tegan and Sara)

4. The Paradiso Girls - Patron Tequila (ft. Lil' Jon)

3. St. Vincent - These Days
Oops, this was from 2007. But I fell in love with it this year...so live with it.

2. Coeur de Pirate - Commes Des Enfants
Her album came out last year. But has had a huge 2009 with Juno nominations and topping CBC Radio 3.

Coeur de Pirate || Comme des enfants from Dare To Care Records on Vimeo.

1. Lady GaGa - Bad Romance

Best Shows of 2009

2009-12-20T23:11:00.000-08:00

The first of my "Best Of" lists has arrived! Shows are listed in order of date, not rank. They were all so amazing in different ways, it would be too hard to choose.

*Ladytron/The Faint - Tucson, AZ.
There's a chance this could be due to Mira Aroyo, who is my dream girl. The Faint always put on a high-energy show, Ladytron is my favorite band.

*P!nk/The Ting Tings - Glendale, AZ.
It was hard to believe that The Ting Tings were only a two piece band. P!nk's performance had enough bells and whistles to make a motherf*cking circus jealous. FUNHOUSE!

*Ingrid Michealson - Tucson, AZ.
I am thankful a friend was on this tour, otherwise I wouldn't have gone. Ingrid has such a great stage personality. I like a performer who isn't afraid to tell the crowd they sound like shit. She has a killer voice to boot.

*Peaches/MEN - Tucson, AZ.
MEN = JD Samson from Le Tigre's band. Peaches crowdsurfed, she spit glittery blood on the crowd, she got 20 people in the crowd to take off their shirts and stole them! I think that says it all.

*Metric - Scottsdale, AZ.
I was feet away from Emily Haines, in one of the tiniest venues. Her and Jimmy did an acoustic show that sounded phenomenal. The crowd joined in for an amazing version of "Combat Baby".

2010 already looks promising with St. Vincent and Muse/Silversun Pickups on the roster.