Afternoons at Spaceland

I have enjoyed my week off from concerts and stored up some energy to tackle 2009. My self imposed vacation didn't last too long when I saw the line up of Eagle And Talon, Xu Xu Fang and Afternoons at Spaceland.

Eagle and Talon





A sullen Casio keyboard riff percolated through Spaceland with Eagle And Talon garnering the attention of the crowd. Eagle and Talon are primarily a two person project with assistance from various band members. Kim (Vocals/Guitars) alluringly strummed her guitar for the noisy "Hot Caught" with her partner in crime Alice (Drums) adding a shuffling beat. Eagle and Talon thrive on dissonance and force together notes and harmonies that normally don't mesh.

"Palm Springs" played like an ode to Sonic Youth with its underlying tension, scratchy guitars and Kim possibly channeling her hero Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth. Eagle and Talon automatically got points for incorporating a theremin in there set. The world needs more theremin. "One Lark and "Moisturizer" had Alice and Kim exchanging their instruments, as they debuted a number of songs from their upcoming album Thracian. I wouldn't be surprised if they book a residency soon.

Xu Xu Fang





Xu Xu Fang look to make even more noise in 2009. Their EP The Mourning Son was one of the stronger releases from the Los Angeles music scene in 2008 with its fogged washes of psychedelic guitars. Xu Xu Fang are at it again by issuing Seven Days Now, which includes their cover of The Cure's "Fascination Street".

Xu Xu Fang excels in the live show department. Their performance at Spaceland was spot on. "Ni Hao" said a lot more than hello with its storming three guitar assault. Barbara Cohen (Vocals) seemed to materialize out of the fog to lend her soaring vocals to "The Mourning Son". "Good Times Have Gone Away" would be Xu Xu Fang's call to arms as the song builds from a slow marching to a full charging anthem. The watery guitars and keyboards of "Seven Days Now" immediately reminded me of Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter" but much more hallucinogenic. Xu Xu Fang is perfectly poised for a residency to help broaden their fanbase. I hope they hit South By Southwest so other folks can catch on.

Afternoons




Afternoons had one of the more successful Spaceland residencies in 2008 back in July. The freight train that is Afternoons continues to gather steam. Afternoons just released their debut digital single "Saturday Morning (After The Funeral)" on itunes through Spaceland Recordings.

A slow cooking stew of synthesizers gave way to the glorious harmonies of "Love is a Western Word", as Afternoons immediately captivated the Spaceland audience. Brian Canning (Vocals/Guitars) dialed up his swirling jangling guitars with assistance by Steven Scott (Guitars/Vocals) and his Rickenbacker guitar. Tom Biller (Bass) whipped up a thumping bass line for "Graffiti Artist" when Claire Mckeown (Vocals) added her atmospheric vocal flourishes. "Saturday Morning (After The Funeral) blew me away with its subtle incorporation of bouncy electronic threads of synthesizers woven into the hook of the song. "Say Yes" is guaranteed to send shivers up your spine with its ridiculously catchy chorus. I predict Afternoons will headline the El Rey theatre by the end of the year.

Earlimart and Afternoons at the Echoplex

A new era dawned with the debut of Check One Twosdays at the Echoplex. As much as I enjoyed the light setup at the Viper Room, the Echoplex will draw a larger audience for those who were unwilling to make the trek down the Sunset Strip.

It is hard to believe that I have been attending these Check One..Two nights dating back to August 2007 when I saw Gliss, The Moderates, IO Echo and the Black Kites. Mr. Shovel has long been a champion of the local scene and I would speculate his presence forced KROQ to introduce their Locals Only program with Kat Corbett.

Red Cortez





Red Cortez proctored in the new spirit of the Check One Twosdays, as it was one of their first shows having previously being known as The Weather Underground. I caught the tail end of The Weather Underground when they opened for the Airborne Toxic Event at Spaceland and was impressed with the conviction of Harley Prechtel-Cortez (Vocals/Guitars).

Red Cortez had a batch of songs that mine the same Americana dirty blues rock as Delta Spirit, Cold War Kids and the Walkmen. I didn't catch too many song titles but I do remember the southern tinged gristle of "Neal Cassady". Calvin J. Love (Guitars) eschewed traditional guitar parts as he added oblique lines to the locomotive driven songs. Red Cortez will be stopping by the Detroit Bar on December 6th when they open for Little Joy.

Afternoons






As sad as I was to see the demise of Irving, Afternoons have tapped into a sound that is refreshing. I wouldn't be surprised if Dangerbird records steps up to the plate to sign them and release their debut album. A slow swirl of keyboards kicks off "Love is A Western Word" until Claire McKeown (Vocals) unfurls her operatic range and the guitars crash into the song. Brian Canning (Vocals/Guitars) handles the vocals with a deliberate pace as he strums his Gibson Hollowbody guitar.

If I could choose one song to be played at Barack Obama's inauguration, I would easily choose Afternoons's "Say Yes". I might have speculated that they wrote this song after Obama's victory if I previously hadn't heard the song. A wave of hope and positive reaffirmation infuses your soul upon hearing the smorgasbord of sounds. Afternoons had a four song EP available, but I hope to hear their full-length debut album soon.

Earlimart






How is it that I keep missing Earlimart? Aaron Espinoza (Guitars/Vocals) and Ariana Murphy (Bass/Keyboards) are the two principle members of Earlimart. They have been quite prolific releasing Mentor Tormentor and Hymn and Her within a year. Earlimart has a cinematic twinkle to their songs as I can imagine each of their tunes being incorporated into television or movies.

A crisp combination of breezy guitar chords formed the skeleton of "For The Birds". Aaron and Ariana carefully interweave their vocals together that complement the subtle bubbling keyboards. "Face Down In The Right Town" has the guitar structure similar to that of a lost Grandaddy song, but is carried to loftier heights with Aaron's soaring vocals. Aaron introduced "The Movies" as a song named after the locally worshipped music troupe. The fuzz came to the forefront with "Susan's Husband's Group" as Aaron switched to a Fender Jaguar. It was tempting to leave on a very high note but I soldiered on to see what was next.

Dazzler





A long change over occurred before Dazzler was finally ready to play. If your prior band name was Totally Radd, you have a lot to live up to in the name department. It was really late, but this did not stop some fans from crowding the barricade ready to take in some party jams. I stayed because I saw them setting up a Hohner Planet T keyboard, a keytar and an electronic drum set. Dazzler did throw down with their synthesizer heavy groove anthems with judicious use of the vocoder. "Cold Mountain" is a good example of their display of keyboards. Dazzler will be closing out every night of this month for the Check One Twosdays at the Echoplex.

Next week's Check One Twosdays looks to be a packed house for Everest, The Henry Clay People, Nico Stai and Dazzler. I am trying to switch my work schedule to make sure I can catch this show.

Afternoons at Spaceland

I was flattered when Spaceland took my review of The Afternoons to promote their Monday residency at Spaceland. I was hearing reports that the Afternoons had packed Spaceland every week. I can confirm Spaceland was packed on this particular night.

The Boxing Lesson



The Boxing Lesson are space rock purveyors hailing from Austin, Texas. They were an intriguing trio with just guitars, keyboards and drums. Paul Waclawsky (Vocals, Guitars) had a Fender Jazzmaster dialed into his Roland Space Echo with a bizarre Triwave 4ms pedal in his signal chain. Paul's guitar tone would switch from light breeze to Texas tornado as he had a wide spectrum of frequencies to cover since they don't have a bassist. Jaylinn Davidson (Synthesizers) would not be outdone by Paul as she had a Korg MS2000, Novation keyboard and a MiniMoog Voyager. Jaylinn had her left hand on the Moog playing bass lines while using her right hand for atmospheric pads, and leads. The Boxing Lesson played a majority of songs from their new album Wild Streaks & Windy Days. "Dark Side Of The Moog" had hints of Failure, The Album Leaf and Airiel as the band soared through different galaxies with dense melodies. It was good to see Texas representing with some space rock.

The Happy Hollows





Was this The Happy Hollows Spaceland residency? No, but The Happy Hollows played liked it. The room was nearing maximum capacity as the Happy Hollows blazed through a set that was peppered with new and old songs. Some of the new songs such as "Labyrinth" and "Shark" were atypically typical tunes that whetted my appetite for a new album from the Happy Hollows. "Colors" was a crowd favorite as all band members chanted the various colors named off in the song. Sarah Negahdari gives Juliana Hatfield a run for her money as she wielded her Gibson SG like a battle axe. It is up for debate if the band is trying to keep up with Chris Meanie (Drums/Vocals) or if he is trying to keep up with them. Charlie (Bass/Vocals) crushed his vocals on "Delorean" to slam dunk the ending of their ferocious set. I see many big things ahead for the Happy Hollows once they release their next album if the thunderous applause and chants for an encore are any indication at the end of their set. I am excited to see them again in a few days with Bloodcat Love at the Detroit Bar on July 7th.

Afternoons





I got a feeling watching Airborne Toxic Event at Spaceland that they were going to break out into the national scene. The Airborne Toxic Event were playing as if their life depended on it. I got this feeling once again after watching Afternoons demolish the stage at Spaceland. Afternoons charged right out of the gates with "Love Is A Western Word". Claire Mckeon (Vocals) voice crosses over into Theremin territory with its astounding vibrato. Afternoons mastery of the guitar jangle was evident during "The Intervention of Daniel Fields". The gentlemen of Afternoons have intently studied the playbook of Johnny Marr and John Squire. "Say Yes" rivals Arcade Fire in intensity of performance as some members of the Silversun Pickups assisted by banging on some drums. I also have to mention the multiple keyboards on stage including an Arp String Ensemble. "Line Em Up" had Claire's haunting background vocals meshed against interweaving guitars and bashing drums. The Afternoons will be opening for Tokyo Police Club at the Hammer Museum on July 24th. Tokyo Police Club better bring their "A" game or Afternoons are going to steal the show.

The Movies





The late night slot at Spaceland can often have some people make their way to the exit. This was not the case for The Movies. It is hard to believe I haven't seen the Movies since February 2007 at the Echo. Timothy James (Vocals) is a natural born front man that commands your attention. Sporadic jumps, a cadre of bizarre faces and jerky moves are some of the many tricks in Timothy's arsenal. Jessica (Bass) seemed to have lost herself in her performance as she pounded on her Danelectro bass. Brian Cleary (Keyboards) has augmented his Kurzweil keyboard with another Yamaha keyboard as he pulled out a variety of intriguing patches to go with their quirky songs. "Rock In The Slingshot" welcomed the audience into the bizarre indie rock of The Movies. "Nam" was just as hilarious as I remembered it, but even better in the dynamics department. The stuttering keyboards of "Missed Opportunities" played like a call to arms as the song could actually be used in a motion picture. Based On A True Story is The Movies soon to be released album that may prove to be too smart for the average listener. I also need to check out some of their side projects Tables and Chairs and Very as well as helping out Adeline and the Philistines.