One Week in Loud Town
CityBeat's musical core sample
TUESDAY
Black Kids
(El Rey)
It’s exciting to see what this band is up to, and what they’re going to do next. The indie group out of Jacksonville have been getting a lot of press since their performance at the Popfest in Athens, Georgia. The sound is a little new wave, and the kids clearly have a sense of humor about themselves as the name would suggest – or else may have a wee bit of an identity problem. Should be a fun show. Recommended! (GP)
Bloc Party
(Mayan)
It’s hard to believe that this is the same band that, three years ago, united critics and fans alike with debut album Silent Alarm. They were what we needed at the time: a great post-punk revivalist band with catchy songs and some hip, young faces behind the music. Since then, they’ve divided their fanbase with 2007’s A Weekend in the City, a misunderstood art-rock masterpiece that has since then won over its detractors. This summer marks the release of their latest single, “Mercury,” which pushes their creative output even further into the realm of electro and IDM. (CT)
Ear Pwr
(The Smell)
Retro-futuristic 1980s synth-disco out of some fantasy late-Cold War Europe complete with Mandrax and burp guns, this stuff was actually hatched in Asheville, NC, which is pretty retro itself. Like hundreds of other bands, this duo is in town on a no-budget West Coast tour and it’ll be their honor to play tonight in L.A.’s own Palladium of Skronk and yours to yield up your five bux, hipster rabble. (RG)
Los Angeles Philharmonic
(Hollywood Bowl)
is an L.A. institution almost as well-loved as the Lakers, Wolfgang’s, and scab labor. Tonight, Miguel Harth-Bedoya takes the baton for a delectable-sounding program of four dances from Ginastera’s Estancia, followed by Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1. That noble old standby Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 rounds out the evening. Tilt back your head, lift your gaze to the sky and know Beauty. (RG)
James Taylor
(Greek Theatre; also Wednesday).
James Taylor is good to listen to when you’re driving through the golden hills of San Luis Obispo with your five-year-old baby, who is also named James. Then you can rewind the cassette (remember cassettes?) to the beginning and listen to “Sweet Baby James” a dozen times in a row, while your sweet little boy falls asleep to a beautiful song about hookers. (RS)
THE WATSON TWINS
(Echo)
The Watson sisters have been making folk music together their whole lives in the form of different projects, and have worked with acts like Joe Firstman and Rilo Kiley. Most recently, they’ve released an album called Fire Songs (Vanguard), which is romantic and heartfelt. Tim Fite, too, will be playing that night, with similarly clever songwriting and heartfelt lyrics, a perfect musical companion to the twins. (GP)
WEDNESDAY
Ambrosia
(Pershing Square)
Hey, there, groovy chicks. What’s the “biggest part” of the proggy Pedro boys? Um, the “sun” rising? Or “you” or something. Shine the light! Make a list of the things they’ll do for you! Let their love rain down on you! Oh my god, Ambrosia is FILTHY. Also, they sort of sound like Hall & Oates, but a little bit Bee Gees-er. Whatever: AWESOME! (RS)
Chromeo
(Music Box @ Fonda)
The ’80s were never cool, guys. The synthesizers, vocoder, the cheesy lyrics filled with double entendres … none of it. Therefore, an Arab and a Jewish guy from Montreal doing kitschy throwbacks to that era is definitely uncool. But don’t let that make me stop you from dancing along. I mean, after all, what’s more uncool than a bunch of scenesters clad in American Apparel ... .
PEANUT BUTTER WOLF
(Music Box @ Fonda)
Born Chris Ganak, this Clubland mainstay was first heard from when he and MC Charizma were briefly signed to Hollywood Basic. The up-and-coming emcee got himself dead of gunshot in 1993 and the DJ was cut adrift. He relocated to L.A., founded Stones Throw Records and went on to become one of L.A.’s more useful musical citizens, releasing rare beats, underground rap, and crate-digger masterpieces like Stark Reality Now, a 1970 funk exploration of the music of Hoagy Carmichael. As you might imagine, he owns two of the most discerning ears on the planet, mad turntable skillz, and an enviable rep as partymeister. (RG)
Published: 07/23/2008
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You guys must be frickin' deaf by now.....