I'm up on Buzzbands: Kills Birds with The Shaking Hands and Slaughterhouse at the Lodge Room

I'm up on Buzzbands with photos of Kills Birds with The Shaking Hands and Slaughterhouse.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Discotelle

Discotelle at Junior High

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What is currently influencing your music? I'm currently influenced by my own broken brain, the state of the world, the sometimes overbearing California sunshine, and the nostalgia of a Tennessee summer. Musically, I would say we draw from Fleetwood Mac, Loretta Lynn, Van Halen, and Angel Olsen.

How do you go about combining lyrics and music? I don't normally write a song with the intention of it being about a specific moment or feeling. Normally I'll sit down with my guitar and let my brain go somewhere and the words follow. Then I'll take the skeleton song to my bandmates, Skyler and Duncan, and they beef it up instrumentally.

New Music Alert: Allie Buckley's "Nothing Sacred"

Allie Crow Buckley has a new song out called "Nothing Sacred." The video has an ancient sacred style to it. The music has a folk tone that includes what feels like what the Druids music might have sounded like. 

Saying Druids is not the appropriate route to take on the music as she writes on an Instagram post:

Nothing Sacred was written about this place...

A small town in Italy carved out of the side of a mountain. An area where the Etruscan people once lived. An ancient pre patriarchal civilization of earth worshippers.

In slide 3 you can see the ‘jukebox and ancient token’ - there was this old school jukebox, and it only operated on lira. The owner of this little wine bar would drop a handful on your table.

That evening, we were walking through the town square and saw the locals all doing this line dance. Naturally I had to join in. Filled to the brim with wine, and pleasantly losing the feeling ‘limb by limb.’

So I should said influenced by the potential ancient sounds of the Etruscans versus the Druids, but honestly I don't know if I've ever heard of the Etruscans -- other than maybe they were mentioned in my high school European history class way back when.

Lyrics of the song: Are we onto something / Is this all part of some plan / Living out some prophecy lifetimes in the making.  

How is the present connected to the past? Sometimes when we allow life to slow down just for a moment, we can feel it.   

Photo taken at the Bootleg Theater

Quick Hit Band Interview: The Sweet Kill

 

The Sweet Kill at Harvard & Stone

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What is currently inspiring the band (in terms of music)? I created a Dark & Gothic 2021 playlist on Spotify so the search for hidden gems both old and new to add to the playlist is super inspiring!

How would you like your music to impact people who listen to your music or see you play live? For those who are listening, I would want that individual to come to the show (now that we have them again) and vice versa; for someone who's at the show and digging the vibe to dive into the Spotify!

Own final thoughts: I wage war against addiction. I write about the darkness to create the need for the light. The Sweet Kill desires to connect to those afflicted with the heavy of life. To provide a fun space to unplug from the grid with like minded trudgers is my goal!

2021 Review: Favorite New Bands / Artists -- New to Me, but maybe not to You

2020 / 2021 Favorite Bands / Artists - new to me, but maybe not to you. I wasn’t able to do this series in 2020, but there are a number of bands I saw online in 2020 that I got to catch live in 2021. (List is alphabetical.) 

11. Chase Petra. I first caught this band during the Echo Park Rising 2020 Online Edition. Then I saw them a couple more times online. Three times in total and then I finally got to catch them live at The Silverlake Lounge opening up for The Gooms. Just love their pop-punk sounds. 

Side note: I was going to list out the favorite bands that I have yet to see, but the list kept growing and growing. So which band do I most want to see again? I’ve got to go with my Glendale neighbors down the street – Holy Wars! Got to be loyal to the city. 

10. Dove Armitage. I’ve followed Quincy’s music career in Los Angeles since her days with Cat Scan and Kevin (and backing for various bands such as Death Valley Girls). I noticed she was playing a set at Permanent Records Roadhouse and made my way there. It was my first time at this venue and it was totally worth it. Total death goth. 

Side note: if you’ve noticed, I’ve done a number of photo galleries for Buzzbands this year. My first such gallery was The Paranoyds. Got to say, that was one awesome way to start off my series of posts on the music site. The biggest challenge for that set: how long could I stay at the front of the stage before the crowd kicked me out with their push towards the front of the stage. I lasted about half the set. 

9. Friends Don't Die. I was taking a staycation and decided to head out to catch as many bands as possible. On a lark, I decided to go to Highland Park Bowl to catch a random band. The band I saw was Friends Don’t Die. One of the band members used to be in DWNTWN, a favorite band from the past. 

Side note: my first 2021 music festival was Happy Sundays Long Beach, which is held across various venues along a 2 mile plus stretch. I had back pain for a week (carrying around 2 cameras), but there were no regrets. On a sad note, so much had changed along that stretch of Long Beach since the 2019 version of the festival. 

8. Heyboy. What an exciting pop set at a WFNM night at Bar Lubitsch. His song “Wasn’t It Fun?” just has you thinking back at life. 

Side note: my first 2021 live set was at Stories Books and Cafe where I saw an acoustic set of Starcrawler. That’s not a bad way to start off the return of live music. 

7. King Mala. I first saw King Mala in 2020 via an online set. When I noticed that she was playing a WFNM set at Bar Lubitsch, I got excited. I was not disappointed with her soul vocals. 

Side note: so I’ve gotten to spend 2021 working from home. What is a benefit of working from home? I’ve gone out way more often than past years. Nothing better than rolling out of bed and just turning on the computer and then sometimes taking a midday nap. I’ll probably be back in the office sometime in 2022, which means I’ll be less active in my music photography versus 2021. 

6. Lavalove. Off I went to Little Joy on a random night. They played a set that fits their band name: music as hot as lava, but as soothing as love. 

Side note: For two years, Livingmore was a band that ranked in my top 3 for bands that I saw more than any other band. This year, I saw them only once. I hear they’re playing Europe in 2022. Time to book a European vacation? Which band did I see the most this year? Jagged Baptist Club at 

5. Luna Aura. Caught her at a WFNM night at Bar Lubitsch. She rocked the night with her stage presence and songs that had a mix of dance beats and rock triumph. I need to see a Holy Wars / Luna Aura tour.

 

Side note: Oh wait, I did see a Holy Wars / Luna Aura night in 2020 via an online set. 

4. Meth Math. I love shooting local music festivals, because of the opportunity it allows to catch a new band or artist. It was off to Viva Pomona to fulfill that opportunity – by the way, my body temperature is still a few degrees below where it should be due to the fact that it was freezing out in Pomona. At the start of Meth Math’s set, there weren’t that many people watching. By the end of the set, a large crowd had formed. What people got to witness was an artist who embodies an underground art scene vibe. Unfortunately for me and you is that the band is from Mexico so your chances of catching them are limited. Photo shot for Buzzbands.

Side note: I’ve worked with Buzzbands 13 times this year and I’ve worked with CaliforniaRocker / USRocker 4 times this year. I’ve done reports from the Lodge Room to The Echo to The Goldfish to Zebulon to Resident to Moroccan Lounge to The Cinema Bar (which was also my first time there ever). I would have done one from The Silverlake Lounge, but COVID-19 shut it down. All my coverage except for Bully at the Lodge Room included a local Los Angeles band. My small attempt to contribute to the return of live music. 

3. Mia Nicolai. She’s from the Netherlands. I do love the Netherlands, having spent a few months there as an exchange student. So yes, I have a good bias for bands / musicians from the Netherlands. 

Side note: I was hanging out at a music venue when I heard that the Feels were calling it quits. I was in a state of shock. You can search my Instagram posts for my decade-long walk down memory lane. 

2. Moonily. Saw this band opening up for The Paranoyds at The Echo. Their heavy bass beats send you into a hypnotic state. Photo shot for Buzzbands.

Side note: am I the only one who thinks Los Angeles could use 1 or 2 new music venues that are primarily dedicated to the local music scene -- a new Bootleg and The House of Machines, perhaps. Yes, my all-time favorite venue did shut down for good . . . 

1. Nightjacket. A final example of a band I saw online before seeing a live set. I noticed they were playing Highland Park Bowl and I was totally there. Their song “Lonely Archer” just kicks it. 

Side note: events I hope come back in 2022 - Echo Park Rising and Chinatown Summer Nights. And finally, I do find it strange that my list of Top 11 favorite bands don’t have names that start with the alphabets O - Z. I feel like there is a strange bias there.

New Music Alert: Dancing Tongues' "Laws of Attraction"

Photo taken at The Echo

I've seen Dancing Tongues three different times across the years. I've always considered them a straight out hard rocking band that loves to throw in hair tosses throughout their set. Their song "Laws of Attraction" takes a slightly different angle in my point of view. There is a strong blues vibe with how that electric guitar is played. Then on top of that add in a mix of flamboyant vocals. The song ends with a clash of cymbals that are allowed to die out -- like maybe attraction itself?

New Music Alert: SWIMM's "You Never Fake It"

SWIMM is out with a new song called "You Never Fake It." The music video features Chris from Swimm, Lauren Ruth Ward and the object of their affections Dagny. The song is atmospheric with Chris' vocals touching emotional highs. 

The lyrics go: Kim, I know you're right / If you want to fight / What difference does it make? / You don't ask of me / Too much but when you leave / All of me is what you take

Is Kim on the rebound from a relationship and regrets breaking up with her ex-lover. And now her current lover realizes that their emotional connection is slipping away? At the end of the video, I think the eyes tell the story.

Photo taken at the Teragram Ballroom

New Music Alert: BIIANCO's "Teeth Bared"

 

 

BIIANCO is out with a new song called "Teeth Bared." I've followed BIIANCO's career since the start. And before that via Smoke Season. Her current iteration of electronica aligned with interpretative dancing is like a Vulcan mind meld.   

Though the video does not feature the artist, the two actors in the video show off their dance skills, but that comes later in the video. The video opens with a boyfriend coming in a  home with flowers. The girlfriend confronts saying that the flowers just don't fix their relationship issues. The two then enter into an android like dance. It is sensual, but then there are just moments of hatred and rejection. In the end, the whole relationship is over.   

In a Instagram post, BIIACO states the following: ‘teeth bared’ is a song about grief, rage and wreckage and what you do with it. You meet it with your teeth bared 👄 out everywhere now 🥀

Photo taken at School Night

Heading Out in 2022: Harvard & Stone and Permanent Records Roadhouse

It ended up that heading out to VIVA! Pomona would be my last time I did concert photography in 2021. As the new wave of COVID-19 hit Los Angeles, many venues shut down for a couple weeks. The urge to do some band photography took hold and off I went to Harvard & Stone on January 3rd. I went to catch  Friends Don't Die, a band that I consider to be one of my favorite bands that I saw for the first time in 2021. I just love their melodic sounds. Opening up for them was a band called Funds for Jimmy. They rocked it out. The sound guy loved them so much that he requested that they play an encore.

Funds for Jimmy

Friends Don't Die

Then later that week on January 7th, I went off to Permanent Records Roadhouse to catch GospelbeacH. That led to one of those amusing moments for me. Billy Tibballs and Uni Boys played their 60s / 70s rock sounds. Then I stood around playing around on my smart phone waiting for GospelbeacH to hit the stage. The band wasn't setting up their gear. I decided to go check out some used records and then went back to see if they were about to hit the stage. Instead, I noticed that the drum set was being packed up. Oh, it hit me that GospelbeacH was the first band up that night and I'd missed them.

Billy Tibballs

Uni Boys

I'm Up On Buzzbands: L.A. Witch

I'm up on Buzzbands with photos of L.A. Witch at the Lodge Room. Opening were TREMOURS and Poppy Jean Crawford.

L.A. Witch

I'm Up On U.S. Rocker: The Hot Club of Los Angeles

I'm up on U.S. Rocker with a review of The Hot Club of Los Angeles.

New Music Alert: Isla June's "Wild Places"

Isla June has recently released the eclectic Wild Places. 

"I just wanna disappear. How long 'til it's over? Time is moving slower. Someone get me out of here."

A beautiful song about escaping to a wild place. There are times when we all want to escape this world, but that doesn't have to be an awful situation. The music is wonderful composed and every note has a place that lifts one into a dream state. It gives one the idea that wanting to escape to empty spaces can be a cheerful experience.

Photo taken at El Cid

 

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Christina Apostolopoulos

Christina Apostolopoulos at
Junior High

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? My sound is mainly folk-inspired with a good dose of blues & jazz mixed in.

What motivates you to write your music? I'm a fairly shy person outside of performing, so being on stage singing my own songs feels like a place where I can safely speak my truth. When I sit down to write I think, what's on my heart right now? What do I to need say?

Own final thoughts: I'm half Greek (see: my last name), and have been starting to play a lot more Greek songs in my sets! It's been a fun challenge; I hope my Yia Yia and Papou would be proud.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Ryan Hahn & The Believers

 

Ryan Hahn & The Believers at the 
Silverlake Lounge

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? I would describe my sound as Americana/Rock’n’roll. Influenced by artists like Tom Petty, Steve Earle, Neil Young, etc. 

 Is there a story behind one of your songs that you’d like to share? My song Farmers Son off our last EP titled the same . . . this one is about having tattoos, living in LA, and how lots of people see me as an “rock and roll city boy.” But even though I may not look like it, I’m still the same ole kid who grew up on the tobacco farm in small town rural Kentucky. It’s about never forgetting who you are and where you came from, no matter how far you travel from it.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Water Tower

Water Tower at the Silverlake Lounge

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What's the story behind how your band started? Short answer: We met in high school at the water tower in the woods. Many people would come from around the little suburb town to hang out at the water tower, and we enjoyed playing music there. Every night in the summer we could see groups of people flocking to the tower for a place to spend a few minutes in the woods down a gravel road, away from the city.

And just in case- Long answer can be found at Scene Point Blank

Where is your favorite spot to write music? And why the spot? I love to write music on the side of the road. The constant flow of people in cars inspire me to understand myself on a deeper level. I see a bit of myself in each person, and therefore I have endless inspiration on the road.

Own Q&A. Why do y’all write music? It makes us happy, and it helps us grow. We stay connected through the music, and therefore are able to stand back from the painting and see the bigger picture.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Lasers Lasers Birmingham

Lasers Lasers Birmingham at the Silverlake Lounge

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What is currently influencing you in terms of music? Most of my music career I focused on songwriting but now, I’m going back to old country standards trying to learn how to be a better interpreter of other people’s material.

What thrills you about performing live? It's just so great to be on a stage in front of people again. Every aspect of it thrills me, the energy when people sing along, laugh at my jokes between songs or when the room is silent and you can feel the crowd just listening. I don’t even mind if someone yells “Play Freebird!”

New Music Alert: Wet & Reckless' "Loophole"

 

Wet & Reckless has a new song out called "Loophole." This is a band that I followed off and on through the years. I love the band's rapid fire music. It is a Lo-Fi sound that has people dancing in a frenzy and the question -- especially for this quick song -- is will the frenzy dancers collapse first or will the song end first. One has 2 minutes and 6 seconds to figure out which scenario will play out first. And what about those vocals? It isn't so much singing as beat poetry with a punch. Hey you, "You kicked me out of my home!"

Photo taken at The Satellite

New Music Alert: Skullcrusher's "Song For Nick Drake"

 

I've never seen a live in-person set by Skullcrusher. I've only seen them via my computer screen. I happened to come across the band early in the pandemic during an online music festival called Cancelled Fest. When I saw the name, I figured they were a punk band. Was I mistaken! After the initial shock of hearing a singer-songwriter, I became entranced with the music. I later caught a solo set during Echo Park Rising.

The band has a song dedicated to the singer-songwriter Nick Drake out. The song has the same dreamy vocals and tunes that initially drew me to this band.

Here's what was written on an Instagram post about the song:

I wrote this song while reflecting on moments in my life that feel most intertwined with Nick Drake’s music. I was thinking about how music is the only art form (at least for me) that becomes one with my memories in a really distinct way. When I remember moments from my hometown I think of Nick. I think of walking & taking the train to the city & listening to his albums. Moments that would otherwise be mundane & routine are now bonded with someone else’s art. I think about that as a maker as well. How something I share might become woven into someone else’s life in a way I will never know or understand. That thought sometimes feels overwhelming for me but also cool. It’s really my homage to music & the times I’ve felt most connected to it. 

We all relate to this sentiment? For me, maybe it isn't as classy a musician as Nick Drake, but when I hear Red Red Wine by UB40, I remember driving through San Luis Obispo on a dark rainy night.

Cancelled Fest

Quick Hit Band Interview: Paper Idol

Paper Idol at The Hi Hat

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What is currently inspiring the band when it comes to your music? Been very inspired by Future Funk, Arthur Schopenhauer, New French Extremity cinema, Francis Bacon, VSauce.

What thrills you about performing live? Having the opportunity to dance awkwardly in front of a large number of people

Own Q&A: Boxers or Briefs? A: (by band member) Adam: Briefs, Matan: Briefs, Victor: yet to be disclosed.

I'm Up On Buzzbands: Viva! Pomona Day 2

I'm up on Buzzbands with Day 2 coverage of Viva! Pomona.

Bands covered inclue: 

The Glass House 

Bashardo Gerardo 

Amira Elfeky 

Graves Flowers Bongo Band 

Ruby 

Marinero 

Pachyman 

Cowgirl Clue 

Magdalena Bay 

Eyedress 

Radical Stage

Sonoda 

Archer Oh 

Slater 

Rio Romeo 

Gap Girls (couldn't find any social media)

Scarypoolparty 

Diamond Plaza Stage

Wayword 

Not From England 

Whaja Dew 

Vex Ruffin 

Junior Mesa 

Kuromi

Cowgirl Clue