Here is the Sunrise, Ain't That Enough?

It has been my intention to write something intelligent about a particular Felt song, off and on for the better part of this week. I've actually been trying to decide between writing about the Felt song, "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow," or a Tullycraft song. You'll know which song soon enough because it totally won. Truth be told, as many times as I have listened to "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow," and regardless of how strong a connection I feel that I have to that song, I'm really in no position to write anything that offers any sort of perspective as to why that is, or why it is that I have any sort of connection to any Felt song for that matter. I certainly can't offer any perspective as to why Felt are so important in the history of the jangly pop music that I hold dear, or any perspective as to why they are actually one of the better bands associated with the genre. The incredible amount of intelligence contained in their songs springs to mind, but that is just too much to get into here. And again, the songs are more intelligent than I am so I really don't have much to add on the subject. I'm certainly not a Felt completist by any means, though with time and a much steadier income I'm sure that I could be. Really though, at two o'clock in the morning after a long day that is on the verge of unfolding into an even longer day it is not my desire to be able to offer any perspective whatsoever on one particular Felt song, or to determine how I will ever add all of those records and singles to my collection. My only desire right now is to fall asleep listening to this band, "I don't know what it is, I don't know what it is..."

You can (and should) listen here.

Stop Making a Movie of It (Ooooh it's Just My Style...)

It has recently come to my attention that I am not the only squaregirl who has a major soft spot for The Lightning Seeds, and their biggest hit single, "Pure." DJ practice always takes place at the home of squaregirl Kristen because, well, she is the only one of us currently in posession of DJ equipment, and has enough space to not make her neighbors want to call the cops when said equipment is being used at a high volume. Not only did she not complain about hearing the last minute of this song fade into the first minute of The Field Mice song, "Fabulous Friend" (so that the very best place to start the latter could be determined,) I believe that she sang along to, "Pure," (and simple... sorry) every time. This is one one of oh so many reasons that I am so happy that I work with this person. She also pointed out that the video was adorable so naturally I had to find it as soon as I got home. It is, in fact, adorable. Does anyone else have a bit of a crush on Ian Broudie after watching this?

Surely, watching this video is one of the better ways to begin one's Wednesday morning...

Lightning Seeds - Pure

See Her Runing Around She's The Girl About Town That You (Probably Haven't) Heard Of 1/28 - 2/3

Hello. I hope that all of you had a good weekend, collectively. Mine was spent alternately waitressing, and being completely lazy with virtually nothing in between. I blame the weather.

Though I did brave the chilly air, and (later) the rain to make my brief walk to and from the Echo for Part Time Punks. Worth it, so very very worth it. It was perhaps the most fun night I've ever spent at that particular club, and I've spent many (too many?) nights there. The DJ sets were the best I've heard probably ever. And I now have the most giant crush on Magic Bullets. They covered Orange Juice, soundchecked their guitars with the Sea Urchins' "Pristine Christine," and cut Pastels' lyrics into their last song. Actually it was pointed out to me that if we were discussing literature I would say they alluded to the Pastels. Not only is this true, but even typing that someone else pointed it out to me makes me feel smarter by association. Their own songs are completely dreamy as well. Please listen to them here, and please do try to see them play if you ever have the chance.

It looks as if that was just the beginning of what looks to be the craziest week I'll have in 2008 (so far.) In addition to a busier than normal work schedule, our next squaregirls night is happening THIS Sunday, not to mention some very intriguing shows happening pretty much everyday before that. Here is what the week looks like:

MONDAY 1/28:

We Barbarians, Canon Blue, and In Waves at The Silverlake Lounge

The Parson Red Heads, The Idaho Falls, The Monolators, Papercranes at Spaceland

Radar Brothers, Brian Aubert, Adeline at The Echo

Idyllists, Sons and Lovers, Last American Buffalo, and The Growlers at The Viper Room

Fred Armisen, Petra Haden, Chelsea Peretti at The Troubadour


The fact we are on the last week of The Parson Red Heads Spaceland residency, and I still haven't seem them live makes me feel slightly lame. Especially when I consider all of the opportunities that I've had to see them even before the residency. Even more especially when I consider how everyone I know who HAS seen them swears by their unlimited fantasticness. Then I consider the fact that I get to see them tonight, and I feel giddy. And, I adore the Monolators, and can't recommend their live show strongly enough. The fact that they are playing this show as well, and it's free makes it seem like a no-brainer to me.



TUESDAY 1/29:



The Bravery at The House Of Blues/ Anaheim

Drug Rug at Spaceland

Upsilon Acrux, Little Women, Polar Goldie Cats, and Duhkha at The Smell


One of my friends told me about Drug Rug few months back. I remember liking what I heard on their Myspace page a lot. Plus Spaceland is pretty much always one of the best places in town to see a show. I don't know much about Upsilon Acrux, but I Upsilon Acrux keep meaning to check them out, and I am intrigued to see what a band called Polar Goldie Cats is like. The Smell is always a good place to see a show as well (especially if you are under 21, or 18, or any age for that matter.)



WEDNESDAY 1/30:



Kind Hearts and Coronets, Old Toy Trains, The Chapin Sisters, and AJ Roach at Bordello

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals at Royce Hall

Jessie Evans, Von Iva, and Deadbeat at The Silverlake Lounge

The Section Quartet, Leviathan Brothers at The Echo

Mr. Lif, and The Perceptionists at The Knitting Factory

El Ten Eleven, People Noise, and The Kax at The Scene

The Mars Volta at The UCI Bren Events Center

Castaneda, Roman Numerals, and Asher at Spaceland (Club NME)

The Chapin Sisters' harmonies would probably make me cry if I were the kind of girl that cried over exceedingly pretty pop vocals, they do some fun covers too. I also liked Kind Hearts & Coronets' record from last year a lot so Bordello seems to me to be the best bet on this night (actually the only bet for me since I'm hanging the KCRW posters.) I know very little about hip hop so nothing that I say about the subject can be taken as any sort of authority, having said that, I find the Perceptionists to be fucking cool, they're at the Knitting Factory. Last, but not least a couple of people that I've talked to lately seem to really like Castaneda, if you're a fan of epic, radio ready, electro pop songs, I can't imagine that you will be disappointed by what awaits you at from them at Spaceland.



THURSDAY 1/31:



Jessie Evans, Dame Darcy, Lily Marlene, and Milo at Bordello

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals at Royce Hall

The Airborne Toxic Event, The Deadly Syndrome, Morning Benders, and Castledoor at Spaceland

Dengue Fever at The Echoplex

Entrance, Langhorne Slim, Moonrats, Rumspringa, and Crystal Antlers at The Knitting Factory

Forcefield On, The Year Zero, Two Guns (w/ members of Fielding) at The Prospector / Long Beach


Really, if you are planning on attending the last night of the Airborne Toxic Event residency at Spaceland with The Deadly Syndrome, Castledoor, and DJ Kevin Bronson buy your ticket now! And still aim to get there at 9...



FRIDAY 2/01:



El Haru-Kuroi, Princeton, and Antiques at El Cid

Autolux, and Health at El Rey Theatre

The Monolators, The Front, Health Club, and Dirty City Brothers and Mr. T's Bowl

Springtime Is Wartime, Brother, Brother, and Manhattan Murder Mystery at Pehrspace

Bodies of Water, and Castanets at The Echo

The Black Dahlia Murder, 3 Inches of Blood, Hate Eternal, and Decrepit Birth at The Glass House (Pomona)

Matt Costa, and Delta Spirit at The Troubadour


Oh this one is tough. I saw Princeton last week, and they wowed me in a way that I didn't think that a band I've already been so wowed by could. I predict (if there is any justice in the world) that 2008 will be a very big year for Princeton. Of course the brilliant the Monolators, and squaregirls' loves the Health Club will be rocking Highland Park's finest Mr. T's Bowl. Though for me, the combo of Autolux, and Health at El Rey seems way too promising to pass up. I've been trying unsuccessfully to see Autolux since 2005. Hopefully Friday night is the night that all changes.



SATURDAY 2/2:



Mere Mortals, Xu Xu Fang, and Black Kites at Spaceland

The Deadly Syndrome at The Scene

Ashtray Babies, NASA Space Universe, and China Smoke at The Smell


We adore the Scene, and everyone in Los Angeles seems to adore The Deadly Syndrome, so...



SUNDAY 2/03:



Nu-tra at The Echo (Part Time Punks)

Squaregirls Present: The Tartans, Maria, and Murder Mystery at The Scene


Speaking of how much we adore the Scene, we have our next squaregirls night happening there THIS Sunday. Two of our favorite local, well one local one semi-local, indiePOP bands both on what is surely the greatest label that exists practically in our own backyard, YAY!. If, for whatever reason, you happen to read this blog regularly you may recall that I've mentioned the YAY! label once or twice here. Oxnard based Maria, and L.A. based The Tartans will be filling the Scene with the sweet, sweet sounds of jangly pop tunes. We also have the fantastic Murder Mystery traveling all the way from NYC to hang out with us, and to share some of their ultra catchy 50's sock hop-esque songs with a modern twist (including at least one highly addictive electro pop song.) And, as always squaregirl Kristen is attempting to break the world record for awesome by not only making the coolest flyer I've ever seen (posted below,) but she's also been telling me about the treats she is making for this one. She has mentioned homemade chocolate roses. I am in awe. I've been preparing for this one by having spent the good part of the past week ankle deep in 7 inches, Sarah and Subway Records comps, Smiths Records, Kinks Records, Byrds Records, Supremes... I'm sure you get the idea:) Research is almost never this much fun! Plus we have the multi- talented Brian of the Tartans pulling double duty as performer AND guest DJ! He's bringing along a small fraction of his outstanding 45 collection. I'm practically counting down the seconds until this night arrives. Surely we'll see you there? Email us at squaregirls@gmail.com, or leave a comment below if you would like to be added to our $3 RSVP list.

The Coastal Road at Night...

Sorry for the seriously infrequent posting this week. I could blame it on the holiday, the rain, and a myriad of other things, but that would be just plain sad. Truth be told this week has proven to be insanely busy/ tiring, next week promises to be more of the same, and I've become simply lazy when it comes to writing things about bands.

However, I will offer my attempt for all of us to end our week(s) on a lovely note. It has recently come to my attention that Robert (Bobby) Wratten of Trembling Blue Stars, as well as Northern Picture Library, and the Field Mice (!) stopped by the incomparable Dublab when he was visiting our fair city last year to record an acoustic set. The results are stunning. I could try to explain exactly why they are so stunning, but I could never do this performance justice regardless of how many descriptive words I use. Just listen here, and discover what I'm talking about for yourself. I hope this helps to give your weekend a fantastic start!

Is That Rock and Roll You're Tasting?

I'm finally getting around to converting some of my vinyl to mp3s. If you are wondering whether or not to invest in the technology it is exactly as awesome as everyone claims that it is, and exactly as time consuming as you have to sit in front of the turntable and press a button every time a new track begins. Still, being able to carry those songs with you now wherever you go is priceless. I find this especially true since I seem to do my best listening while I'm out walking around.

The even better part of this process is that it forces me to sit down, and listen intently to records that I have so far not spent nearly enough time with. The best example so far being the self tilted debut (and final) album from The Royal We. Where I had previously used this record only to rock the completely addictive single "All the Rage" at past Squaregirls nights, I'm now convinced that it was one of the most overlooked records of last year. Opener, "Back and Forth Forever" is really the only song that breaks from the formula of short catchy glam rock songs that one can dance to. With it's simple sounds of plucked strings, the sweet sounds of a continuous tambourine, gentle humming in the background, and puppy love lyrics it's somehow not at all out of step with what comes next, it's actually the perfect thing to ease you into the dizzying (in the best possible way,) pace of every song that follows which will likely have you dancing around your bedroom, living room, or whatever. "All the Rage," still increases my heart rate just by listening to it the way so few songs ever manage to, it's virtually impossible to not sing along with the ba-ba-bas on the song that follows it, "That Aint My Sweet Love," and so on and so forth until you reach the album's conclusion which is a cover of Chris Issac's "Wicked Game." That should completely solidify your love for this band if it's not already completely solidified at this point, and it really should be. The only thing I can't quite figure out is why more people (myself included) didn't pick up on the endless amount of fun contained on this album when it was released at the end of last year. Oh well, I'm certainly not going to complain about that right now. I will instead be thrilled over the fact that I now know that I have one more entire album of dance floor ready anthems at my disposal, and I will now return to the converting process to see what other treasures are buried in my record collection! Oh, and you can buy The Royal We here.

See Her Runing Around She's The Girl About Town That You (Probably Haven't) Heard Of... 1/22-1/27

Hello. I hope everyone had a fantastic long weekend and were able to enjoy the lovely spring-esque weather! I know I certainly did. I took hour and a half walks every day where I tried to catch up on a few new records, but I'm still pretty stuck on the new Nada Surf. I also finally got to see Languis over at Pehrspace who are a band that I've had the worst luck catching so far. I can only hope that this means that that particular streak of bad luck is over because Languis are a fucking great live band.

Speaking of great shows, there appear to be quite a few this week. Ordinarily I leave the concert listings/picks to Joe, Duke, and Bronson because I am generally lazy, and they do a much better job than I do. However, there are just so many good shows coming up lately, I decided I wanted to get in on the fun. Please take everything that I recommend with a grain of salt, consider it for a moment, then (likely) defer to one of Joe, Duke, and/or Bronson's picks.


TUESDAY 1/22:


Ryan Adams & The Cardinals at Bridges Auditorium

Signal Hill, and Beware Of Safety at The Silver Lake Lounge

The Teenagers, Funeral Party, and Mezzanine Owls at The Echo

Poison The Well, The Locust, Dance Gavin Dance, and A Girl, A Gun, A Ghost at The Troubadour

Mezzanine Owls REALLY impressed me when I saw them at Spaceland last month, and The Teenagers seem to be on the tongue of every hip kid in the world these days. A quick trip to their Myspace page should give you a clue as to why. Both bands are at the Echo. I imagine it might be a tad insane. So you could always go off the beaten path a little with the alarmingly effective post rock of Signal Hill.


WEDNESDAY 1/23:


Sofia, and JT & The Clouds at The Silverlake Lounge

The Teenagers, Run Run Run, and Mostly Bears at Spaceland

The Moon Upstairs, Suki Ewers, Greater California, and Blackbird at The Echo

Poison The Well, The Locust, Dance Gavin Dance, 3, and Mikoto at The Glass House

Gallows, This is Hell, Cancer Bats, and Vultures United at The Troubadour


If you had to miss The Teenagers on Tuesday, and have regrets about it, here is your second chance as they play Club NME at Spaceland. Plus there is always bound to be a good song playing during those band- less moments courtesy of DJ Dia.


THURSDAY 1/24:


Sia at Amoeba Music- Hollywood

Stab City, Dead Ponies, Savages, and Victim Vision at The Silverlake Lounge

The Airborne Toxic Event, Radars to the Sky, Aushua, and Venus Infers at Spaceland

Hey Willpower, and Money Mark at The Echo

The Blakes, Magic Bullets, Narwhalz, and Breathe Carolina at The Glass House (Pomona)

Rademacher, The Monolators, Joshua Lanes, and Igor Spectre at The Prospector (Long Beach)

Feral Children, The Transmissions, Black Kites, and Kettle at The Scene

I'm way curious as to what Seattle's Feral Children are like, and they are playing with our favorite atmospheric rockers, The Transmissions, and Black Kites who Joe swears by. We're also down to the last two weeks of the The Airborne Toxic Event residency at Spaceland. This week they are joined by the mighty Radars to the Sky. If you are thinking of getting there any time after 10, you may want to prepare yourself for waiting in line. Oh, and if you are planning to go next week when they are joined by Castledoor, The Deadly Syndrome, and the DJ stylings of Kevin Bronson you may want to buy your tickets now


FRIDAY 1/25:


Mirah, and The Blow at The Henry Fonda Theater

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Will Hoge, and Jeremy Fisher at Spaceland

Lemon Sun, and Astra Heights at The Echo (Club Underground)

Circle Jerks, Hit Me Back, and Last of the Believers at The Glass House

Hello Astronaut Goodbye Television, Yellow Fever, Her Girl Friday at The Smell

Au Revoir Simone, Karin Tatoyan, and Princeton at The Troubadour

I've never fallen as in love with Mirah's recordings as I've wanted to, but Ihear that seeing her perform changes everything. And I heart The Blow more than I can properly express. The Fonda seems like the best bet for Friday. However I will be hanging KCRW posters for the Au Revoir Simone show, and hanging out with Squaregirls' super crush Princeton at the Troubadour!


SATURDAY 1/26:


Yeasayer, and MGMT, at The Echo

Moving Units, War Tapes, and Radical Posture

Circle Jerks at The Majestic Ventura Theater

High Places, Abe Vigoda, Disaster, and Lucky Dragons at The Smell

There will probably be a hipster or two at the Echo on Saturday for MGMT, and Yeasayer. Of course you can never go wrong with a show from the always great Abe Vigoda at the Smell.


SUNDAY 1/27:


Upsilon Acrux at Spaceland

White Williams, Magic Bullets, The Blakes at The Echo (Part Time Punks)

I have to say, I'm quite excited about Part Time Punks at the Echo on Sunday. I don't remember much about White Williams when I saw them back in September, except that they were a pleasant surprise. The Blakes have one of those perfect RADIO singles that I used to hear on KEXP all of the time that I feel kind of guilty for enjoying as much as I did. And I LOVE everything that I've heard from Magic Bullets so far, everything. Plus the description of this particular night on the Part Time Punks website is pretty damn intriguing:

"Take a flying nun (or a velocity girl). Dapple her with strawberry wine. Tease her with razorcuts (if you're feeling sinister). Or tell her you wanna be adored.

But please, please, please, take her out tonite where there's music and there's people who are young and alive. And biff bang pow you've got night of pop!"



These are the things that caught my eye this week. I'll be back with more next week which will include the announcement of our next Squaregirls night! It's our first official indiepop night, so as you can probably imagine, I'm more than a little excited about it...

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to alert me to overlooked shows, and/or make your own recommendations in the comments section below!

The Sun Shines Everywhere That We Have Ever Been

The other night at Spaceland I found myself in a conversation with the endlessly knowledgeable Kevin Bronson, and he mentioned to me that I should check out a local band by the name of The Windy City Gentleman. Since Kevin Bronson is not only endlessly knowledgeable, but also has impeccable taste, I did so almost immediately upon arriving home. Two days later, I keep going back to their Myspace page where I promise myself that I'll listen to just one song then move on to something else. So far I haven't been able to make it out of there without letting every posted song run it's course at least once, but usually twice. The band is apparently named for a pretty dark relative of the lead singer, but the music is all sunny, catchy, laid back pop. Go figure. They have a few West Coast tour dates listed on the Myspace page that begin in the middle of February. This includes stops in Northern California, as well as Seattle, Spokane, and Eugene. I you make it to a show please tell me how it is! In the meantime, I'll just keep hoping that they'll add a few that are closer to home once the tour is over.

It is, and it's Always Been, and it Will Always be the Next Best Option to Pretty Much Just About Anything

I knew there was a staggering amount of good music heading my way is 2008, I just didn't know how rapidly it would reach me, and just how good it would be. My week has pretty much been set up like this, listening to the new Henry Clay People EP Working Part Time while I'm driving, listening to the new Nada Surf album Lucky while I'm walking, and (still) listening to that Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin song while I'm sitting in front of my computer.

The Henry Clay People have been one of my favorite live acts over the past year, and the new EP captures the energy of those live shows perfectly. They create smart, catchy indie ROCK songs that get better every time that you hear them. Their songs also somehow simultaneously make you excited about the future of rock music, yet would have been right at home in 1994. In fact, if they had been releasing records and playing shows in 1994 they probably would have been on tour with Pavement. I'm officially nominating the Working Part Time EP as "That CD that will live in your car's CD player until sometime in September." They have a Monday night residency at the Echo in February, and are releasing the EP just in time to celebrate that.

Nada Surf on the other hand pull off pretty, full sounding power pop, and pretty, introspective ballads with equal degrees of success. And they just keep making near perfect record, after near perfect record. I'm not sure how they do it, but I'm going to keep listening until I figure it out. They have a few upcoming shows listed on the
Barsuk Records site none (sniffle) listed for L.A., but I imagine (hope) there will be a lengthier tour in the spring. While you are hanging around the Barsuk site you should download an mp3 of "See These Bones," It's well worth your time. Especially since Lucky won't be in stores until February 5.

Below is the video for my favorite song from Lucky, "Whose Authority." Notice the lead actor in the video. Doesn't that make you want to spend the rest of your day hunting for old episodes of the Adventures of Pete and Pete on You Tube?

Nada Surf - Whose Authority Official Music Video

Ready, Steady, Go!

Alright so I guess I'm officially the last L.A. blog to write a post that implies that I'm currently freaking out about The Monolators . But all I can think about this morning is how much I'm currently freaking out about the Monolators. I'd seen them twice before and liked them, but the full effect of how great they are didn't quite sink in until I saw them play at Boardner's last night as part of the always fantastic Radio Free Silver Lake presented Let's Independent. They have a nice proportion of punk rock energy to pop sensibility which not many bands pull off quite as well as they do. And the fact that they were playing to a packed house last night only seemed to make it stronger. They were the first band I've ever seen to be told that they were too loud, and would have to tone it down a bit. They had fun with this too, at one point when the audience was clapping along we were asked to, "Turn down the hand claps." The Monolators have two interesting upcoming shows. January 24 with Rademacher at the Prospector in Long Beach. Then Monday January 28 at Spaceland with the Parson Red Heads, who I (shamefully) still haven't seen. That's one that is most certainly not to be missed!

Of course the show last night was a release party for Death to Anders who also put on a fantastic show. And I'm now more excited than ever to spend some serious time with their new record. It looks like Death to Anders are heading out for a bit of a California tour so if you happen to be reading this in Fresno, Modesto, Sacremento, San Francisco, or Long Beach, you're in luck. Most dates are with Rademacher so you are actually doubly in luck.

And a huge thanks is due, once again, to Radio Free Silver Lake Joe for consistently providing the best monthly band showcase/party in L.A.

Below are a few videos for you to enjoy. One of The Monolators live (of my personal favorite, "You Look Good on the Train,") and one of The Monolators with choreography. There is also a video of Death to Anders performing an unknown song from the show last night. Anyone who can tell me what the song is gets a hug.

the monolators -

Strawberry Roan - The Monolators

Death to Anders @ Boardner's 01-15-08

Listening Too Long To One Song: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin "Glue Girls"

Makers of one of my favorite albums of 2006 Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin have a new one to be released on April 8 through Polyvinyl. It's going to be called Pershing, and after hearing just one song from the album I'm pretty much counting down the days until that release date. If you were a fan of the lo-fi charm of Broom the first listen of "Glue Girls" may come as a bit of a shock. The production value is much higher, and the musicianship is way tighter. But even in gaining these things, none of the initial appeal has been lost. In fact this seems to be Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin taking the first step toward becoming the power pop band they were always meant to be. The lyrics are clever, the harmonies on the oohs and ahhs sound better than they ever have, and this song comes complete with a bridge whose most prominent instrument is the cowbell. So far, it's the most enjoyable 3 minutes and 25 seconds of pop that I've heard this year. You can find the song here, thanks to the endless study in awesome that is Stereogum.

Listening Too Long To One Song: The Vandelles "Lovely Weather"

If my memory serves me correctly, I heard the name The Vandelles some time last year and thought, "Oh I've got to check into that." Of course, at the time, I forgot. Then a few days ago I saw a Myspace bulletin alerting me to the fact that they are playing Part Time Punks this Sunday. Since I was already at my computer (and in fact on Myspace) I went to their page immediately to listen. The sound is pretty much exactly what I would have hoped for from a band called the Vandelles. Just the right amount of classic surf guitar and girl group influence running straight into a solid wall of shoegazer noise. The song "Lovely Weather" sounds to me the way it might feel to watch a lightning storm at close range, and narrowly escape electrocution. That is to say, it sounds pretty, exciting, and more than a little bit dangerous. If you happen to be reading this in Los Angeles you have two chances to see them this weekend. They play the Scene Bar TONIGHT. A venue that we Squaregirls are very fond of. Then Sunday at the Echo for the aforementioned Part Time Punks night. Another venue (and night) that we are fond of.

The Vandelles -

Meet the Tartans!

A recent visit to Rock Insider where Jax was wondering why more L.A. music blogs weren't talking about No Age got me to wondering why more L.A. music blogs aren't talking about The Tartans. Granted they haven't yet released so much as a single (their first is set for sometime this year on the ultra fab YAY! label,) and their live shows are kind of sporadic. However, anyone who has seen them play live will surely attest to the fact that they are a band that deserves some serious attention. They use their nifty array of instruments (12 and 6 string guitars, rickenbacker bass, drums, keys, glockenspiel!, melodica!) to create charming, catchy, and perfectly classic sounding indiepop songs (I love accidental alliteration!) I can't imagine walking away from one of their shows feeling anything less than thrilled over the fact that there is a pop band this GOOD right in our own back yard so to speak. Do make your way over to their Myspace page as soon as you possibly can to have a taste of their seriously addictive songs.

Last Nite

Thank you so much to Rademacher, Radars to the Sky, and Birds & Batteries who each rocked the Scene so hard in their own special way. And huge thanks to everyone who came out to see it! I unfortunately lost the battle with that cold sometime around 1:30 this morning. I had the upper hand until then, but it got me with a sneak attack. Still, it's completely worth it for the great time that was had last night.

Well I Went to the Party and I Wanted to Dance All Night

Hello, hello. We are in full preparation mode for our show at the Scene tonight over at squaregirls HQ. Well, that is to say I'm at home fighting a cold, blogging, and listening A LOT of records to figure out which songs will be just right to fill the spaces before, in between, and after our spectacular bands Rademacher, Radars to the Sky, and Birds & Batteries. In the meantime squaregirl awesome, also sometimes known as squaregirl kristen, has already picked out tons of great records, baked treats, and is currently working on a way to rig a Dance Dance Revolution contest. It's $5 at the door, but only $3 if you RSVP to squaregirls@gmail.com. And if you need a little help getting into the dance party spirit, clicking here just might do the trick. See you tonight!

Longing for Fresh Surroundings

It always starts this way, me traveling through the internet in search of some new band with one single to their name (or one EP, or an EP that you can only download on Myspace, etc.) so I can jump up and down over the fact that the future of music is BRIGHT after all, blah blah blah... But I inevitably think about some old song that I haven't thought about in awhile, or a recently discovered old song, and I end up just writing about that.

Well today is no different. As part of my quest for the new and exciting I made my way over to Skatterbrain!, and found that he'd posted the songs from the only Field Mice Peel Session(in 1990.) This ensured that my hunt for new bands is complete for the day, and that I will only be listening to the same four Field Mice songs until some time tomorrow. I strongly recommend that you head over there and pick them up for yourself, if you don't already have them that is. If you do already have them, then I strongly recommend that you go listen to them.

Although, I will say that for the new stuff you've been anxiously awaiting you should really head over to The Catbirdseat. He's got a whole slew of mp3s up from the likes of Kelley Stoltz and Destroyer (swoon,) as well as the first mp3 offering from the new Mountain Goats LP which I need to listen to many more times to form an opinion of.

Listening Too Long To One Song: Talulah Gosh "Talulah Gosh"

So around this time every year, my pal Eric J. Lawrence over at KCRW takes a look back at the best releases of the year that just ended, and the best releases 20 years prior. As 1987 was a pretty good year for indiepop releases (Sarah Records released it's first single that year for example) I thought it would be fun (because I'm just that nerdy) to search for at least one set of (four) songs that whether or not they actually make it on the air would in theory offer a decent look at the year in indiepop. Which led me to Talulah Gosh. Though they began releasing singles in 1986, and disbanded in 1988, 1987 did see Talulah Gosh go through a significant line-up change (founding member and vocalist Elizabeth Price left the band, and was replaced with Eithne Farry,) and it did see them release what is likely their most successful single, also titled "Talulah Gosh." The band apparently took it's name from an interview with Clare Grogan of Altered Images who when asked what she would do after the band responded with something to the effect of becoming an actress and calling herself Tallulah Gosh. Though she already was an actress, and continues to act using the name Clare Grogan or CP Grogan. Therefore the name Talulah Gosh (especially with one less "l") became fair game for a pop band from Oxford. The song itself may or may not be addressing this back story, opening with the line, "Everyday she wakes up, her life will be a movie," and the chorus starting with, "Talulah Gosh was a film star a day." Who knows really? The lyrics are smart and enjoyable either way. And the music, mmm, the music. Guitars, tambourines, and harmonies galore. Not to mention the fact that it starts off with a measured, dreamy pace then builds up to an (almost) frenzy during the chorus. Remember when you would spin around as a little kid until you got so dizzy you had to collapse onto the nearest available flat surface? This song is pretty much the aural equivalent to that in the best possible way. Check out the video for "Talulah Gosh," posted below, and starting this Monday at midnight (or does that make it Tuesday?) you really should tune into KCRW to hear Eric J. Lawrence's take on some of the best songs of 1987 (part one of two.) The guy not only knows more about music than anyone I know, but has pretty excellent taste when it comes to picking favorites as well.

02 - Talulah Gosh - Talulah Gosh

Dancing on the Ceiling, Dancing on the Floor

Hello all, and Happy New Year!

I can't quite express how exciting it was for me to open my email this morning, and find this exceedingly awesome flyer waiting for me. Our square design team (and coolest couple ever candidates) Kristen and Chris seriously out did themselves with this one. So I certainly hope you will all be able to join us a week from today for drinks, killer bands, and maybe even a surprise or two...

By the way, did anyone else make it out (or attempt to make it out) to the Echo on New Years Eve? It was crowded to a level that I've never seen at even the most sold out of shows there. We had to spend most of the evening outside just so that we could breathe/not get elbowed in the face repeatedly! Oh well, at least I got to hear the last three songs from the Blood Arm, and Eddie Argos (from Art Brut) played 1990s during his DJ set. And the music outside was consistently good, and the place eventually cleared out enough for us to go inside and dance to some seriously enjoyable soul until the lights came up. So it actually turned out to be a great night over all, I guess I just always underestimate what a BIG DEAL it is for people to go out on NEW YEAR'S EVE! And now I'm kind of in the mood to give that 1990s record another listen.