The Morning Benders at the Echo

The debut full length album from The Morning Benders has finally arrived and was celebrated with a record release show at the Echo. Talking Through Tin Cans is currently in heavy rotation on my ipod and I was looking forward to catching them prior to their sold out cross country tour opening for the Kooks.

Rumspringa




An illuminated bass drum and an assortment of percussive instruments on a stand were cluttered on the stage as the dynamic duo of Rumspringa appeared on stage. Joey Stevens (Guitars/Vocals) plucked out ringing notes on his Fender Telecaster with the help of some metallic finger picks for a dirty scratchy tone for their Americana inspired rock. The interesting twist they provided was Joey's adept use of 2 Boss Looping pedals that would sample various phrases as he would stack his loops to provide a slice of the psychedelic. Itaru de la Vega (Drums) kept the music floating along with a steady cadence. Rumspringa had a strong contingent of fans stationed in front of the stage cutting loose and dancing around. I may have to check out their residency at the Echo in June to get another dose of their rollicking tunes.

Dawes



Dawes looked and sounded familiar from the start. It turns out that Dawes is a good majority of the band Simon Dawes who I previously saw open for Wolfmother in Las Vegas. Taylor Goldsmith (Guitars/Vocals) led Dawes through a sharp Americana influenced rock set as he coaxed some bittersweet solos from his Fender Stratocaster. Wylie Gelber (Bass) was situated close to the drum kit to lock in his bass lines. One of the many songs that caught my attention was "When You Call My Name". Dawes only has one song posted on their Myspace page but I assume are working on a full length album as they played an eight song set.


Morning Benders






The Morning Benders continue to impress me every time I see them. Talking Through Tin Cans will most likely fall into the top 10 indie albums of the year as each song on the album packs a healthy pop punch. Tim (Bass) has switched from a Fender Bass to a super slick black Rickenbacker bass to give the Morning Benders a sharp rounder low end sound that meshes perfectly with the duel clean guitar attack from Chris Chu (Vocals/Guitars) and Joe Ferrell (Guitars). The Morning Benders worked through a good portion of their new album along with a few B-sides. "Patient Patient" was one of the many highlights for me as I enjoy the wobbly rotating Leslie speaker simulated guitar solo. "Waiting For A War" was fierce as Tim stepped on his Boss Turbo Distortion pedal during the song that forcefully shook the Echo. "Boarded Doors" pure ear candy as Chris would rake his guitar strings while Joe filled in the blank spaces with some Rhodes keyboards. In my interview with Chris and Joe, I mentioned how much I liked the recording of the drums so I will have to give credit to Julian Harmon for replicating the consistent shuffle that is on the album in a live setting. Since The Morning Benders will be opening for the Kooks on their US tour, I imagine they will continue to win over many new fans. It will be interesting to hear them on some decent soundsystems as they have a lot of nuances in their sound that sometimes gets lost in the mix. I hope you have your tickets to one of their shows because most of the dates are already sold out.

Mezzanine Owls at Spaceland

I thought April was a busy month. May is ridiculous with Le Switch at the Echo and Mezzanine Owls at Spaceland every Monday as well as the usual stacked line ups for the Indie 103.1 sponsored Check One.Two. at the Viper Room. I often wish I can have be at three places at once. This particular line up at Spaceland was too good to pass up as the inclusion of Minipop tipped the scales in favor of showing up at Spaceland.

In Waves




I made sure I was at Spaceland early to catch In Waves. I have closely followed the progress of In Waves since I saw them in December of 2007 at the Viper Room. Unfortunately, Jimmy Strange (Guitars/Vocals) was feeling under the weather and his vocals were not one hundred percent. Even though the vocals were not up to normal strength, the music continues to improve as their new drummer Delano Duran seemed more confident as they played a sharp set. The drowning reverb of "Careful Talk" bounced around the room as Tim Gregorio cut loose on his Fender Bass. Jimmy was creating his usual dense clouds of sound on a Fender Mustang as they worked through a number of songs from their debut album due in the summer. I imagine they will quickly get their own residency shortly after its release. The haunting echoes of "Sometime After" closed their set as I still found myself hoping they would have played one more song.

Wait Think Fast




I was not to familiar with Wait Think Fast but I figured if they are endorsed by the Mezzanine Owls I would give them a chance. Wait Think Fast combines multiple influences into a varied musical stew. Some of the possible reference points would be a female fronted Echo and The Bunnymen and The Smiths with an ethnic twist. Jacqueline Santillan's (Vocals/Keyboards) vocals hover like clouds above the firmly rooted post punk influenced guitars. They are playing the Echoplex with Helio Sequence and Talkdemonic on June 14th, which is one heck of a bill.

Mezzanine Owls




I knew it wouldn't be long before the Mezzanine Owls would get their residency at Spaceland. Their latest release on Jaxart records is painful only in that it is too short and I am aching for a new full length release.

Bundles of blue lights shone across the stage as the droning notes of "Drift" floated throughout Spaceland as Pauline Mu (Drums) added cymbal splashes to the fill out their dense sound. Their version of "Ghost Ship" was the most rocking version to date with Jonathan Zeitlin (Guitars) adding wobbly tremolo guitars to the fast paced rocker. "Lightbulb" was one of my favorite songs from 2007 and Jack Burnside (Vocals/Guitars) nailed it spot on. I would also like to add Jonathan didn't have his Roland Space Echo but was tweaking a batch of pedals on his sonic wizardry workbench obscured from my view. "Moving Ground" also followed an accelerated pace as Jonathan switched over to his Korg MS2000 to provide ambient washes of sound. "Wake Up" floated between calm and stormy as the metal slide guitar work was out of this world with extra delay and feedback added to my delight. A new song from the Mezzanine Owls was instantly memorable with layers of synthesizers and guitar feedback mashed together like a tasty smore. "Snow Globe" punctuated a set as I spotted a dance pit break out during the song. Mezzanine Owls will play with Film School in San Francisco as they both open for Swervedriver on May 29th. If I didn't already have tickets for The Cure in Santa Barbara, I would make the trip up north.

Minipop





It is hard to believe the last time I caught up with Minipop was back in February of 2007. Minipop played to quite a large audience for the late slot at Spaceland. Those who chose to stick around were treated to a delightful sugar spun set from Minipop. "A New Hope" is their latest release and sparkles with crystalline guitars and the lush vocals of Tricia Kanne (Guitars/Vocals). Matthew Swanson (Guitars/Keyboards) was a busy man switching between triggering samples and the occasional synthesizer riff while playing his hollowbody guitar. The lights were extremely low for their set but I noticed some intriguing patterns projected on Tricia. I looked up to see various images from the classic movie Tron. The tortuous and swirling guitars of "Like I Do" intoxicates and delights at the same time as they perfectly frame the passionate vocals of Tricia. The proverbial cherry on top was a jaw dropping cover of "Black Metallic" by Catherine Wheel as Tricia strummed the dreamy chords on her Fender Telecaster with a capo on the second fret. I can only say that those who stuck around were absolutely floored.

The Heavy at the Bordello

The Bordello was out of control as The Heavy stopped by for a Playboy sponsored "Rock The Rabbit" bash. There were Playboy bunnies running around chased by a costumed wolf as the Heavy oozed out a batch seductive soul infused rock tunes that absolutely thrilled the packed house.




The Heavy are touring to support their new album Great Vengeance and Furious Fire that could be the new Marvin Gaye inspired soundtrack for the indie generation. "Coleen" had the crowd howling as Swaby (Vocals) worked the females in the audience with his natural showman skills. A sampled horn section compelled the audience to sway and dance as Swaby sang "Do You Wanna Make Love?". The temperature in the Bordello was rising extremely fast with no signs of cooling off.




The cowbell was being rocked by Chris Ellul (Drums) as the guitars and bass entangled each other for an stunning version of "Set Me Free". Little Hannah Collins (Keyboards/Vocals) was adding her silky background vocals to the track as Swaby continued to encourage female audience participation. Swaby is a natural born performer and his stage presence is galvanizing. He would alternate between a normal microphone and a CB microphone to add some distortion to his vocals.




"In The Morning" kicked up the temperature a few degrees as the bouncing piano keys made you jump up and down as Spencer "Big Daddy Spence" Page kept the low end grooving. Dan T (Guitars) started off "Girl" with his marching palm muted power chords as Swaby dived headfirst into the storytelling lyrics of the song as Hiromi Oshima bunny hopped at his side. The jazzy horn samples of "That Kind Of Man" along side samples of blasting air horns kicked things into a even higher gear. Everyone in the Bordello was drenched in sweat at this time. The audience howled for an encore that quickly wrapped up their all too brief thirty minute set. It was a howling good time as you can tell by the pictures.

Gran Ronde, Sleepercar, Aushua Tickets for tonight at Spaceland

Jim Ward of Sleepercar


Aushua


I have 3 pairs of tickets for the strong line up of Gran Ronde, Sleepercar and Aushua tonight at Spaceland. Email me with which band you really want to see here. Thanks to everyone that entered!

Rush at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Check out my review of Rush over at OC Weekly. The slideshow is here.

Duran Duran at the Nokia Theatre

The marquee flashed "Duran Duran-Sold Out!" as I strolled up the Nokia Theatre. As a fan of synthesizers, I was excited to see how many keyboards would be in front of Nick Rhodes (Keyboards) as I would take a trip down memory lane to hear some hit songs from the '80s and '90s as they toured in support of their new album Red Carpet Massacre. I didn't see Duran Duran in the '80s but did see them at the Forum with Terrence Trent D'Arby in the early '90s.It was sad to see that Andy Taylor (Guitars) had left prior to the recording of Red Carpet Massacre but four out of five isn't as bad compared to the years when it was just Nick and Simon Le Bon (Vocals).





The largely female crowd in the front screamed wildly as the house lights dimmed. "The Valley" kicked off the show as Simon worked the stage with a spiffy dress coat emblazoned with the letter "D". John Taylor (Bass) was stationed behind his mirror reflective "D" logo keyboard stand that had contained a Korg Radias. "Hungry Like The Wolf" was surprising early in the set but delighted old and new fans at the same time. The nostalgia didn't stop as "Planet Earth" sounded absolutely pristine. "Come Undone" had John step to the front of the stage and play a few extra funky bass lines on his custom Peavey Bass. Nick was working the keys on his Alesis Andromeda during "The Reflex" as I thoroughly enjoyed the rapid arpeggiated notes. I was surprised to see Simon play some gentle chords on an acoustic guitar during "Save A Prayer".





Duran Duran took a quick break only to return to perform a mini electro set that was electronically delicious. Roger Taylor (Drums) had a Midi electronic drum kit setup as John and Nick had their "D" logo keyboard stands with Korg Radias keyboards on top. Simon also got into the synthesizer action with a microkorg situated in front of him as he rocked the headset mic. They did electronically amplified versions of "All She Wants" and an extra spicy version of "Warm Leatherette".

The rapid shutter clicks and sound of camera flashes immediately tipped off "Girls On Film" as the stage lights were synchronized with the sounds of the flashes. Soaring synth pads of "Ordinary World" filled the Nokia Theatre as Simon really nailed all the notes. I was impressed how good Simon still sounds after all the years. "Rio" closed out the dynamic set with a saxophone solo added to fill out the sound. If they played the same setlist every night, I wouldn't complain as they hit a good portion of their hits mixed with some of their better new songs. This show was will be tough to beat in terms of numbers of synthesizers on stage and performance of the band.

Duran Duran Setlist for the Nokia Theatre(5/04/08)
"The Valley"
"Red Carpet Massacre"
"Nite Runner"
"Hungry Like The Wolf"
"Planet Earth"
"Falling Down"
"Come Undone"
"Skindivers"
"The Reflex"
"Save A Prayer"
"A View To A Kill"
"Last Chance"
"All She Wants"
"Warm Leatherette"
"I Don't Want"
"Skin Trade"
"Tempted"
"Notorious"
"Girls On Film"
"Ordinary World"
"Reach For The Sunrise"
"Wild Boyz"
"Rio"

The Presets Interview with Kim Moyes

The new album from The Presets Apocalypso is coming. You have been warned. I downloaded the album from itunes a few weeks ago and know it will finish in my top 5 albums of 2008. Kim Moyes of The Presets answers a few questions prior to their sold out show at the El Rey theatre on May 20th.

AC:How does the songwriting process work in The Presets? Do you start with synths? Beats? or lyrics?

KM: We start with some kind of idea that might be a chord progression or a melody or a loop on the computer and then thrash it out till it feels good. then we look for more sections and try to shape it according to how it is making us feel. This process can take sometime as we are going back and forth from working together to working solo on in until it has a good decent shape. When it the song starts to present itself, Jules will then start adding vocal ideas which later turn into the lyrics.

AC: I have seen you five times in concert and love the fact that you have two Korg MS-20's on stage. What drove this decision to use vintage gear while on tour?

KM: It's been a nerdy passion of ours for quite sometime now and apart from the great sound these synths make they have such a distinctive look about them. We are very familiar with these synths and can get around them quickly so it's just the easiest option for us to use them live.

AC: Another amazing aspect of your live show is your seamless incorporation of song samples into your set. How did you stumble upon this idea?

KM: Pure necessity! When we first started playing live we had other members in the band and used no backing tracks or samples, but these guys had to leave for various reasons and we were always left together, 2 people who couldn't do everything. We then started playing with an ipod. The right side of the stereo feed would be beats, the left would be the music and we had filtered the beats in such a way as to not have them clashing with the live drums too much. Then we decided to use a computer with 6 separate tracks that gave us more control over what we could leave in and leave out of each song. It's been working pretty good so far i think.

AC: "My People" is synthtastic. What synthesizers did you use to record the song?

KM: We used the Korg ms20 for the bass fed through various layers of distortion and a Korg Legacy Poly6 for the Arp synth.

AC: How is the new record coming along? Is there a release date? Any collaborations?

KM: May 13th. No collaborations. Just us 2 control freaks.

AC: How does the recording process work in The Presets? (ie What Software/Hardware do you use?)

KM: We record everything on to Protools through Digi 002. we use Neve and Universal Audio pre amps, Ibis and Neve eq's, DBX and Neve compressors. we both have Apogee mini me's so we dont have to use the crummy a/d convertors in the 002.

AC:How was the Australian tour with Daft Punk? Did you still use the Daft Punk sample in your set on those nights?

KM: It was a dream come true and of course we didn't play da funk, we are not crazy ya know..

AC: Any plans for a U.S. tour?

KM: We are coming to the US in late May and will be touring all over right till the end of June. But we will be back later I promise.

Tour Dates:
05-20 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
05-21 San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine
05-22 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
05-23 Seattle, WA - Nectar Lounge
05-24 Vancouver, British Columbia - Plaza Club
05-26 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
05-27 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
05-29 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club
05-30 Chicago, IL - Abbey Pub
05-31 Toronto, Ontario - Anti
06-01 Montreal, Quebec - Cabaret Music Hall
06-02 Boston, MA - Paradise
06-04 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
06-05 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
06-06 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
06-07 Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel

AC: What effects pedals do you usually employ live and in the studio?

KM: Too many to mention, lots of distortions and phase.

AC: With just two members in the band, Have you entertained the notion of adding another touring member to lighten the playing duties?

KM: That would be great! We are just waiting till we meet someone good enough for the job..hahah!

AC: What was the first keyboard you owned?

KM: A vibraphone.

AC: For Kim. I loved "System Breakdown". Any future plans for more solo material?

KM: I have some 12's just come out. Wet n Wild was re released with some remixes. Fistogram just got released with a killer D.I.M remix. Party Machini is coming out soon that has an amazing Tomboy Remix on it. I don't plan to stop making music anytime soon so anything is possible..

AC: What were some of your favorite places to play in the U.S?

KM: Cleveland is always fun in that tiny basement under the restaurant with no P.A. its ALWAYS insane. umm Chicago, LA, Pomona, San Fran, NYC, Austin, Fucking EVERYWHERE!!!! I love it!!! I want to open an In and Out Franchise.

AC: For Kim, Would you ever tour with an electronic drum kit?

KM: NO WAY!!! I hate the look of those things and they always sound so disconnected from the music. I would like to try triggers but my friends who use them always look stupid when there is Latency between the real sound and the triggered sound.. I like laughing at them too much and how would i look if I was flaming my samples all the time?

AC: If you could take any four bands on tour with you, Who would you select?

KM: Cut Copy, The Avalanches, Midnight Juggernauts, The Rapture

AC: Are there any new bands that you have been listening to?

KM: No. Only the Presets.. haa! sorry, been too busy finishing the record.

AC: Any plans for a Live DVD?

KM: No plans but I am sure the record label is thinking about it.

Thank You to Kim from The Presets for taking the time to answer these questions.

Does It Offend You Yeah? at the El Rey Theatre

I didn't make it out to Coachella but heard reports that Does It Offend You Yeah? had a huge audience at the Gobi Tent. I was curious to check them out as they were recently added as support for a few Nine Inch Nails dates on their upcoming U.S. tour.

DJ Kid Lightning


They say lightning never strikes twice. I beg to differ as DJ Kid Lightning struck the audience with another electro throbbing DJ set prior to Does It Offend You Yeah? DJ Kid Lightning was often interrupted in his set by audience members inquiring what specific track was he spinning. I also have to give him props for wearing a sweet Iron Maiden tour shirt.

Does It Offend You Yeah?






Does It Offend You Yeah? owned the stage from the second they appeared from the darkness. The synthesizer dominated track of "Weird Science" started the party with its Daft Punk vibe. The crowd was dancing their tails off as Morgan Quaintance (Guitars/Vocals/Synthesizers) coordinated the chaos on stage. James Rushent (Bass/Vocals) worked the vocoder as the robotic vocals of "Doomed Now" kept the crowd vigorously moving. Their performance was like chugging a can of Jolt in that they were twice the energy and twice the fun. Morgan was a wiz on his Fender stratocaster often stomping on his Boss Super Octave pedal for some bizarre octave effects. "Battle Royale" was a furious synthesizer fueled throw down that was squarely pushed the audience's jump up and down button. "Let's Make Out" was a crowd favorite with Morgan grabbing the cowbell to add some extra funk to the song. "We Are Rockstars" has been a ubiquitous club jam that I have heard repeatedly but it never sounded more fresh with Does It Offend You Yeah? performing it live. The sugar and caffeine rush had barely reached its apex when Does It Offend You Yeah? walked off stage.

Yo Majesty






The El Rey unfortunately emptied out before Yo Majesty hit the stage. I am not a big rap fan but stuck around to check out their rapid fire raps and dirty electro beats. The crowd that did stick around were treated to a high energy performance from Shunda K. and Jwl B. Yo Majesty also had some stage dancers to add some background action to the dynamic rapping duo who were stationed at the front of the stage. I left the El Rey still buzzing from an eclectic night of music.

Caribou at the El Rey Theatre

It was the day before Coachella and Caribou along with F*ck Buttons swung by the El Rey Theatre. I was surprised after seeing the show why these two bands weren't on the Coachella bill as they have plenty to offer in the music originality department.


F*ck Buttons






A barrage of chimes cascaded over the audience as F*ck Buttons triggered "Sweet Love for Planet Earth". The song is a walking contradiction as the dulcimer chimes are juxtaposed with dark synth stabs making the song dark and beautiful as Benjamin John Power (Vocals/Synthesizers) grabs his Fisher Price microphone and starts screaming. "Ribs Out" was a tribal romp of stuttering drum beats and jungle screams as F*ck Buttons darkened the atmosphere considerably. F*ck Buttons effortlessly melted the song into "Okay, Let's Talk About Magic" which bores into your skull with its pulsating synths and random ranting vocals. I started to think that Holy F*ck and F*ck Buttons should tour together and title it the "Holy Buttons" tour. "Race You To The Bedroom-Spirit Rise" drilled into what was left of my head. The contradiction of a hard synthesizer bass line underpinned by a delicate keyboard riff was as startling as the rambling distorted vocals. "Bright Tomorrow" seared and melted minds at the same time. Andrew Hung (Synthesizers) used a Gameboy at one point to trigger some distorted keyboard riffs. F*ck Buttons will be playing ATP Festival curated by My Bloody Valentine in September in case you needed a stronger endorsement.

Caribou






A driving drum beat and hypnotic guitar riff gave way to the drum romp of "Sundialing" as Daniel Snaith (Vocals/Drums/Guitars) plucked out the notes on his Gibson SG. Daniel would also drop the guitar to sit in on his own drum kit and pound away. It was a great start as my introduction to the world of Caribou. Caribou dipped into their back catalog as they played "Brahminy Kite" from the album "The Milk of Human Kindness". I quickly see why Caribou and F*ck Buttons toured together as I enjoyed the juxtaposition of Caribou's waves of furious driving drums underpinned by ringing guitars. "Brahminy Kite" was closed out with a monster duel drum jam as a projection screen flashed various geometry inspired colored patterns. The howls from the crowd came out as the echo drenched guitar notes of "Melody Day" trickled over the propulsive drum beat. The combination of the drums, guitars, colored projections and whisper vocals easily transported you to another place as their music seemed to transcend your consciousness. "Sandy" from their recent release "Andorra" focused on vocal harmonies as Caribou continued to weave their dense layers of sound together. "After Hours" was romp through the psychedelic sixties with its wobbly spaced out guitars and extended length. The lullaby from an old music box feel of "Crayon" had a lot of the audience swooning back and forth. It became difficult to actively take notes because the music was so entrancing. In retrospect, I was glad they didn't play Coachella because they wouldn't have stopped by the El Rey for one heck of a show.

Dawn Landes at Spaceland

After catching Headway at the House of Blues Sunset, I double timed it down to Spaceland to catch the indie folk songs of Dawn Landes. I was glad I caught her set as her honey soaked vocals quickly won over the audience and pulled in any stragglers from the bar. "Straight Lines" from her latest album "Two Three Four" started her set as she churned out a catchy acoustic riff. Ray Rizzo (Drums/Keyboards) was using various drum brushes and different shakers to add various shades of percussion to make all of Dawn's songs really stand out from each other. "Twilight" sparkled as brightly as the song title as Dawn played the wistful notes from her guitar. A breezy version of "Tired of This Life" had an uplifting acoustic riff with lyrics that were laced with hope. "Kissing Song" ebbed and flowed nicely as the guitar riff would rise and fill in line with her soft vocals. Dawn had a nice assortment of Boss pedals at her feet including a Boss looping pedal. "Bodyguard" and a cover from Tom Waits capped her short but sweet set. A few crowd members even chanted for "Young Folks" from Peter, Bjorn and John as Dawn has a pretty amazing bluegrass tinged version of the song on her Myspace page. Dawn will be heading out for a tour of the UK with the mighty Weakerthans. I hope the tour can make a US stop.