Quarantine Online Sets: Version 31

Six at Six on The Satellite's Instagram Live hosted by The 6*6*60s had straight six days of music. That's a lot of 6s.

Speed of Light started the sets off on Monday. Since they're siblings the whole band was together to put on their acoustic set. One has to fast forward to the end of the set where drummer Tyler decided to pat Riley on the head. She decided it was time to chase him around the stage with her guitar and then give him some playful kicks.

Speed of Light

On Tuesday, Leandra from Graves and the Bad Weather did a solo set with some scratchy hard rock vocals tuned to an acoustic set.

Graves and the Bad Weather

Nicole Kiki Jaffe took the stage on Wednesday. Perhaps her set was the closest to her true sound due to her singer-songwriter background. I swear that everyone of her six songs was hit out of the park. In fact, every song should be a hit radio song.

Nicole Kiki Jaffe

Jason from The Birth Defects went on Thursday. He mentioned up front that his songs were his own and not The Birth Defects' music. His own music had a southern blues style to it. One could see listening to this music in a smoke filled bar.

The Birth Defects

On Friday, Well Hung Heart got on the stage with the married duo part of the band. It started off with Brian (The 6*6*60s) having this strange dream that The Satellite was being turned into a restaurant. Unfortunately, that is a true statement. You could see glimpses of how their stage show is via how their body movements played off each other.

Well Hung Hearts

Closing everything out on Saturday was Mike Crain of various bands such as Dead Cross and Cunts. There was some great short conversations that took place throughout the set such as Mike saying he'd hung out at The Satellite in his early twenties, but that wasn't that long ago since he was only 23. (For those who don't know, he is not 23.) He was asked about the bands he was in and he jokingly named dropped the fact that his band The festival of the dead deer included the drummer from Slayer. There was also the moment where he highlighted that his whole set list was, "Fuck It All."

Mike Crain

Quarantine Online Sets: Version 30

Winter held a record release party at Non Plus Ultra's secret venue location on Friday evening. The last time I caught Winter was back in 2018. It was wonderful to catch her set on Twitch. Her music was very atmospheric. The sound of her music has a technology quality to it with knobs being turned on the pedals. There is also just a simplicity with slow strums. Then the vocals layer on top of that music with a tender touch.

As can be seen in the below photo, the Twitch streaming gave the perfect background of space and drug-like induced imagery. 

She thanked the people who were at the venue, but noted for those watching online that there weren't really that many people at the venue.

Quarantine Online Sets: Version 29

Are musicians starting to figure out how to do online sets? I swear that vocals appear to be so much better than online sets from earlier in this stay at home situation. Or maybe Instagram has spent a lot of money on technological improvements?

It being a Wednesday, I was tuned in to WFNM where Lucy Clearwater started it off with an amazingly cheerful personality. Her vocals just had fun hitting notes and beats while her fingers plucked her guitar. Behind her, were some very tall trees. Why? She was off on a road trip.

Lucy Clearwater

Next up was Saint Blonde playing with some in-home reverb. The band was playing with 3 of the 4 members. I guess 3 of the band members had been in isolation while the 4th was working so it was nice to see that they were taking appropriate social distancing procedures. What great pop tunes. The keys, guitar and vocals all mixed together perfectly. It was like listening to a perfectly mixed album versus an online set.

Saint Blonde

Next up were a couple musicians I'd seen before: Blondfire and Annabel Lee. I saw Blondfire way back in 2016 with a favorite band of mine called Bloke & Bird at Harvard & Stone. Her vocals just makes you wonder about possibilities. Those could been heard in her vocals, "You and me, we're larger than life."

Blondfire

I previous caught Annabel Lee at El Cid during a Wild Riot event. Her online performance was just slightly toned down from her El Cid set. During her El Cid set, she was hitting those keys so hard I thought for sure she'd break the keyboard in half. Of course, she was playing this set in much more cramped confines with her back to a wall that had a number of framed posters and sketches. It she had done this set with as much energy as her El Cid set, I'm sure those frames would have fallen to the floor. A slightly toned down set didn't mean there wasn't passion in those vocals. Great way to end the night.

Annabel Lee

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Kit Major

Kit Major at High Tide

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What's the story behind what got you to take the step to start performing live? I started doing open mics in Chicago and LA when I was 18. I didn't have my first set until two years ago. A week before my first performance at The Viper Room, my best friend and I did a gig simulator inspired from the movie Tenacious D. We put my keyboard in the living room, and she put up stage curtains and created a fake audience made up of paper plates. She threw things at me while I played through my set. It was hilarious, but helpful, and I've been doing shows ever since!

Outside of music, what are some of your other interests? I love fashion and thrifting for vintage styles, films, writing poetry, screenplays, and short stories and helping my friends with their creative projects! I'm an art school kid, I can't help it.

Own final thoughts: Biggest musical influences: Prince, David Bowie, Lady Gaga.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Disco Shrine

Disco Shrine at High Tide

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

Your song Power is about being strong during times of doubt. Are you interested in providing an example of one of those moments in life? Yeah, I think as an artist you're constantly doubting yourself and your worth and if you're making the difference you want to make with your art. I definitely struggled with that this year, but instead of turning my back, I just dived deeper into music and ended up reassuring myself and finding my confidence again through the music I was writing.

You've released 2 singles in short order: Alright and Power. What's your song writing process been like for those two songs? They were so different. Alright was written a long time ago remotely, because UNBLOOM [co-writer] lived in Canada. So we never met in person as we were writing the song together. Power was more organic. We met up in Magdalena Bay's [co-writer] home studio in Mid Dity and just talked and shared about music and our lives and ended up with this song.

2019 is coming to an end. Anything you'd like to share about plans you have for 2020? Yes. Music, music, and more music. Going all out next year and plan on sharing a lot of the new music I've been working on.

Editor note: this was posted first on Instagram back in 2019 so the final question is a touch dated.

Quarantine Online Sets: Version 28

In pre-COVID era, I seldom jumped venues on the same night. I'd just stick with one venue and catch the bands for the night instead of jumping to catch a favorite band at one venue and then jump to another venue to catch another favorite band.

Well, for this Version 28 of online sets, I did just that on a Wednesday night (July 15). I jumped from the WFNM online live stream to Desert Nights and then back to WFNM.

I started off with Nightly. They're a band from Nashville, but their lead singer was playing a set from Philadelphia. He was in Philadelphia, because his sister just gave birth. What a talent. Those pop - folk vocals just had a perfect pitch.

Nightly

Devin Kennedy had a nice solo set-up going on with a microphone stand, high chair and a stacked drum set that he didn't use other than for a glass of water. There was the rug and maroon curtains. The set with just lower lights would have worked perfectly at Hotel cafe.

Devin Kennedy

Then came the jump to Desert Nights to catch Rachel Goodrich. The set was played at Valida's house (host of Desert Nights). This has to rank as one of the most humor filled sets during quarantine. Rachel Goodrich played both full songs and then did partial demo songs. In between that, she'd run into the house (she was playing outside) to give Valida a hug. There was a whole WiFi conversation that would make for a perfect comedy sketch. It was like watching late night TV.

Rachel Goodrich

After Rachel Goodrich, I jumped back to WFNM to catch Cailin Russo. The set was played in what looked like someone's back yard. It was a full band set with friends (maybe family, as well) hanging out watching the set. With it being 9 p.m., the set was played under the bright porch lights. The country-tinged sounds gave the perfect setting to call the evening a time well spent.

Cailin Russo

Massacre Week for the Los Angeles Music Scene

The coronavirus pandemic hit the Los Angeles music scene hard during the week of July 12th - 18th. Music venues announced that they were closing left and right. The parade of closures started first with Saint Rocke. The owners are putting the location up for sale. I suppose if the right investors bought the property, there is the possibility it might remain a music venue. Who knows, maybe if they can't sell the property and coronavirus becomes a non-issue in say 2021 perhaps they'll just go ahead and re-open. I will admit that I don't think if I've ever been to this venue. It is possible I went there once way back when, but definitely not twice. Yet, hearing the news was more than concerning.

Then there was a Friday massacre. The Satellite and The House of Machines called it quits. The Satellite will switch over to a full-time bar and restaurant. Now at some point they could turn back into a music venue, but how likely will that be as they've torn down the stage and are investing money. Here is part of what they wrote on Instagram:

We are currently removing the stage and redesigning the club to be more of a place to get good quality drinks and food. We will be re-opening the kitchen and doing a complete redesign. Due to the lack of funds, this will not happen quickly. 

We will be opening in the parking lot for food and drinks as soon as we have the kitchen re-opened or the government lets us hire a food truck.

Doing all that takes money. This isn't something that one can go ahead and just switch everything back to a music venue as doing that would also cost money.

This was a big hit for me as I've been going to The Satellite for well north of a decade. All those wonderful memories. In fact, one of the greatest local music line-ups that I've ever seen happened at The Satellite in 2012 when Haim, Cold War Kids and Milo Greene played on a Monday night.

Gustaf at The Satellite (my last time at the venue)

Soon after learning about The Satellite, someone sent me an Instagram IM about The House of Machines. I don't have the same history with The House of Machines as I do with The Satellite. I've only been going to this venue for the last year or so. Yet I would often find myself heading down there just to catch a band.

Their Instagram post said:

To our THoM family and beloved L.A. community – it’s with great sadness that we announce the closure of our store in the Arts District. The ongoing uncertainty in California caused by Covid-19 has left us with little choice.

And honestly, I expect that The Hi Hat will eventually announce that they're closing down. The owner just needs to find a buyer for his property.

Taleen Kali at The House of Machines (my last time at the venue)

Quick Hit Band Interview: Peg Leg Love

Peg Leg Love at Old Towne Pub

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What's the story behind how your band started? Ilir Zeneli started Peg Leg Love back in 2005 as a solo project. In 2009, he moved to L.A. and reformed the rhythm section and started playing more and putting out recordings on his own. In the last 5 years, Peg Leg Love has toured N.Y., Japan, Northern Scandinavia, Denmark, and Berlin with Rocio Galindo on drums and Christina Ownby on bass.

You had your record release party at Old Towne Pub. Do you have any thoughts to share about the challenges of making a record? The current record took a year to make and is on 12'' vinyl, which is always a big expense. This time we recorded at our friend's studio A64A Recordings. We mixed and mastered it at the Laundry Room recording studio. Zeneli spent more time on these songs and they are also more political due to our current president & corruption. These songs are more poetic and existential and he ties in a lot of abstract ideas on life and art.

Own final thoughts. Zeneli's influences have always been Death in June, Boyd Rice, Nick Cave, Blixa Bargeld, Lee Hazelwood, Foetus, The Birthday Party, The Cramps and Leonard Cohen. His Guitar influences are Daniel Ash, Rowland S. Howard, Buddy Guy, Thurston Moore.

What is unique about Peg Leg Love is the music has elements of surf rock, death rock, garage and post punk. It has unique guitar riffs and also vocals that recall Scott Walker.

Quarantine Online Sets: Version 27

This past week of online sets was a bit more muted for me than normal. My usual online venue of choices were shut down this week: WFNM and Los Angeleno. But that didn't mean I wasn't able to catch some sets. Lauren Lakis was up on Jam in the Van. Of course, she wasn't jamming in a van. She was jamming in her living room. I love how the sunlight blasted through her living room window. It is always hard to determine the true sound of a singer when they're doing their songs solo versus with a backing band. Yet, I get the sense that Lauren is switching up her sound from one of punk-rock to one with a bit of psychedelic influence. Unfortunately, her set had technical difficulties at the end so I think the set is lost for good.

Lauren Lakis

On Wednesday, I went over to Desert Nights to catch Monogem and Ryan Levine. Desert Nights does things a little different than other online venues. Those sets are a mix of music and conversation. I've seen Monogem a couple times, but not anytime recently. It is always cool to catch back up with an artist. Ryan Levine played with emotion. And wait, did he say that Meryl Streep showed up at a set?

Monogem

Ryan Levine

Coronavirus Diary: July 12

It was more movie watching from years past. What was on the TV screen over the last few days? West Side Story. The Defiant Ones. The Seventh Seal. October Sky. The Defiant Ones was the best of the bunch with Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier. By the end of the movie, you were hoping these criminals would find freedom and a fresh start. The Seventh Seal is listed as a Top 100 movie. I found it mediocre. A philosophical discussion with Death. Whatever. Death is cruel. West Side Story was a fun take on Romeo and Juliet. October Sky is the most recent of the movies on the list. When I was working at Universal Studios, I had two posters on my wall: October Sky and Reality Bites. The VP asked why I had those two posters. I said sometimes you dream high and sometimes you realize that reality stinks. I'll have to catch Reality Bites in the near future.

For a period of time, I was very busy in my working-from-home situation. This week was easier with me perhaps working with just half my brain. I got to spend time in the evening going on walks. I've gotten into this one cycle of walking through either Atwater Village or Glendale.

I traveled over to Highland Park for the first time since February. I visited the RockinHotChick-Un food truck. It is a vegan food truck that parks across from The Hi Hat. It is the same owners as the Tacos La Tehaunita food trucks. Those food trucks have shut down as the owners are going to open up a storefront. Amazingly, I hadn't gone to Tacos La Tehhaunita or RcokinHoChick-Un since late January, but the owners still knew my name. That's close to 6 months if you're counting.

Since I'm a Canon camera loyalist, I was eager to watch the launch party for the EOS R5. This is the first mirrorless camera that I've seriously thought about buying. The launch party was great. The Canon photographers were breathless about it. Yet, in the back of my mind, I was thinking: no one is doing any photo comparisons. For me, I'd love to see how the photos are in low light situations -- which applies to me as a concert photographer. I want to know how much better it is when compared to the 5D Mark IV. Anyways, this isn't a camera I'll be buying in the near future. When the music scene comes back sometime in 2021 (hopefully), that will be the time I consider if I want to get the camera or not. It'll be an expensive purchase. I'll need to upgrade to some new lenses and I'll probably need to buy a new computer (which honestly, it probably is time to upgrade my computer). So I really want to see some low light comparisons.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Kapali Long

Kapali Løng at The Satellite

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:


How would you describe your sound? My sound would be Americana Folk music with influences from Country, Soul, Blues & Hip Hop. Being from Hawaii, we grow up in a mixed environment so everything was always Genre Fluid like the Culture. 

How do you go about combining lyrics and music? I believe a good song can transcend genres! As for the music & lyrics, they were made for each other, you know when you know. The right words were made for the correct melody and the music is to help tell the story of the lyrics. I hear melodies when I read letters & words so it helps me find the right music. It all comes to me at once like a train. Sometimes I sit on lyrics forever until the melody or chord pattern hits me. Knowing when you’re done with a song is the real test. 

Quarantine Online Sets: Version 26

Friday night means catching short 8 to 15 minute pre-recorded sets on Los Angeleno's Facebook page.

Opening things up was Stilljill. Stilljill is a 3 member band, but for this night it was only one individual from the band, Alex. The set was less than 6 minutes long. It was set outside with just an amp and electric guitar. The outcome was some blues like riffs.

Stilljill

Next up was Omoghéné. First thing I noticed was the minimalism of her living room. The walls and couch were white. There was a picture frame and a mounted television. With the use of a backing track, she sang some nice pop tunes.

Omoghéné

The Great Sadness is one of those bands I've followed for a period of time. Their set was spent screaming wickedly to the heavens and slamming out pulsating drum beats. They played in a studio that had a vague familiarity to me. I'm not saying I've been to their location, but it is a similar design to small venues I've gone to in the pass.

The Great Sadness

Talk 2 Strangers most definitely had the most extravagant set. Talk 2 Strangers has a classic voice with a very artistic presentation. The voice and presentation seemed to be at odds with each other. The artistic presentation included frills around her head and as a backdrop along with exaggerated theater make-up. That to me would indicate someone who would present a more modernistic style of vocals. Yet, if one closed their eyes, one would hear power pop tunes. Her comment of the set, "Building a community . . . . making Los Angeles a little bit more lovely."

Talk 2 Strangers

Closing out the night was punk band Rituals of Mine. Their video had their name in bold white lettering at the top and bottom. The bold lettering along with the split second introduction of additional lettering gave off a very futuristic scifi vibe to the set. The two members of the band were shown on two monitors, one for each. As the set ended, an apology to their neighbors was made.

Rituals of Mine

Coronavirus Diary: July 6

I haven't done one of these entries in a few weeks. So back in mid-May, I wrote about some early fears I had about going to get takeout food and how I felt that might have been an over-reaction. Well, I've started to go out about once a week to some of my favorites. I went to Hugo's a couple times in Atwater Village. I am partial to their nachos. As many might know by now as it made the news, they decided to temporarily shut down due to people refusing to wear masks. Hopefully, they open back up soon. I've gone to Cena Vegan Tacos. I got to say I love their burritos. Finally, I went to El Flamin Taco food truck to get a vegetarian huarache.

I'll likely be heading to RockinHotChick-Un in the next few days. That'll be a trip over to Highland Park. I have not been to Highland Park since February? It has definitely been awhile. I wonder if Taco Zone is still running. I might head to Echo Park for the first time since February, as well.

I've definitely noticed a change in attitude towards wearing masks in Los Angeles. I've spent a lot of time walking around Los Angeles and Glendale. I would say that for much of March through June, people were not wearing masks that often while just doing normal walking around the neighborhood things. I'd say maybe 30% of the people I crossed paths with would be wearing masks. During the weekend of the June 27th/28th, I'd say that had increased to 75%. Now if that trend would occur in Glendale (where I live) I'd love it. I swear that Glendale is still at 30%. Of course, back to Hugo's, that likely means that 25% of their customers just didn't want to wear masks.

With movie theaters shut down, I've been spending a lot of time watching old movies. I recently caught Audrey Hepburn in "Two for the Road." That basically was the inspiration for "Marriage Story," right? I saw Joan Crawford in "Mildred Pierce." That movie is basically set in Glendale. I saw Humphrey Bogart in "In a Lonely Place." I've seen a few other older movies, but I'd say those were the best of the lot. Well, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" was rather funny. Of those movies, I'd say Mildred Pierce was the best. Though this was a Joan Crawford movie, Ann Blyth (who played the daughter) was deliciously evil.

I continue to be lucky in terms of being employed as so many people are now not employed. Work throughout June was very busy, giving me little time to go out and exercise. That along with the fact that I've been going out to eat may have contributed to some weight gain. During the start of the pandemic, I lost up to 8 pounds. I've gained back about 5 of those pounds.

Quarantine Online Sets: Version 25

It was Grant Owen's birthday celebration on WFNM's Instagram Live.

Opening up the night was Revenge Wife. That would be Elizabeth from Holy Child. She was playing from North Carolina. This really has me wondering. I've watched a number of online sets via WFNM. More than a handful are musicians who were living in Los Angeles, but have now returned to their home states/cities. Will these individuals ever return to Los Angeles, especially considering that local music venues probably aren't going to re-open until sometime in 2021. And by sometime in 2021, I doubt that means January 2021. It might take years for the Los Angeles music scene to return to where it was pre-COVID-19.

Revenge Wife

But for now, let me not be so negative. Her set was spent plucking her ukulele strings in rapid fashion or playing her Casio keyboard that she was able to purchase via Patreon donations. One song she played was so new that she didn't have the lyrics memorized and sang them from a notebook. It was a casual set where she played her set on her couch along with her keyboard. And at times, one could hear the crickets in the North Carolina night.

Her vocals can take you into unexpected directions. My thoughts during the set were, "Jess Joy and Revenge Wife should really team up for a duet."

Janelle Kroll was a folk rocking in shades. She made the most of her limited stage. Some of her set was spent sitting on her couch. Other parts of the set had her kneeling on the floor, inches from her phone. I think she must rock during a live set at a venue -- got to add at a venue there.

Janelle Kroll

Chaz Cardigan had that cheerful rock music going. He did a call out to all those who joined the set early. I got a call out.

Chaz Cardigan

Alt Bloom, like Revenge Wife, was playing out of state. He was playing his set from Montana. He was playing out on the patio of his house. His backyard was stunning. Trees and grass. Just lovely. And his vocals were great. It would have been awesome to be out there in that backyard listening to his music and taking photos.

Alt Bloom

Closing out the night was a favorite, BIIANCO. Transcendent electronic music and interpretive dancing. Some of those dance moves had me thinking of "I Dream of Jeannie" '60s moves. Like Alt Bloom, she played her set in her backyard. But this backyard was in Los Angeles.

BIIANCO

  

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Tiny Stills

Tiny Stills at The Hi Hat (shot for Buzzbands)

Interview with the artist, Kailynn. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? We’re a rock band heavily influenced by pop punk and early 00’s rock and pop music. We write happy songs about sad things. We have lots of feelings. 

Outside of music, what are some of your other interests? I am an audio engineer so I love mixing music and producing it, as well as playing with my dog, trying to propagate succulents, and trying to make a rented apartment feel like home. I have time to bake rad pies, homemade bread and make homemade ice cream a few times a year and I love making pierogi from scratch. HGTV forever. I love eating food and surrounding myself with beauty. Other interests also include going to therapy and masturbation. 

Own final thoughts: something unique about this band is that when it first started it was just me, Kailynn West, and I played all the instruments on the first record except the drums and the bass. Now, on our most recent EP we put out with Odd Robot I didn’t even play guitar- our lead guitarist Zach Comtois did. It’s been a fun journey to this point. I also feel like quitting every day.