Gliss at the Echo

A week ago, I managed to quickly run upstairs to the Echo to check in with Gliss. They just wrapped up a US tour supporting their brillant new album Devotion Implosion. I was torn because Amusement Parks On Fire were playing downstairs at the Echoplex but I had to watch a few songs of Gliss before returning downstairs.

Gliss will be heading out to across the pond for more touring but you have one last chance to catch them tomorrow before they leave. The best part is that Gliss is playing with a killer line-up that is a benefit for the Sante D'Or Foundation.

Chemical Reactions

A slew of new releases continue to bombard the music fan. Bands need to release albums in order to have an excuse to tour, so I imagine the average cycle between albums for bands will generally shorten.

It also won't be uncommon to see some bands do 2 or 3 tours supporting one album. I honestly can't remember seeing this many great bands on tour at once. It only looks to get worse as bands realize the only way to make money these days is tour or to be Josh Freese.

Gliss

Devotion Implosion obliterates any notion of a sophomore slump for my favorite Los Angeles based trio, Gliss. The recording of this album was meticulous, as the sounds and tones are well-crafted. "29 Acts Of Love" immediately attacks you with a noise burst before intoxicating you with its groovy bass and shattered glass guitars.

I wasn't familiar with any of the new material when I caught them at Spaceland in February, but immediately recognized most of the songs when I listened to the cd. This very rarely happens. Gliss will be playing the Roxy on June 5th.

Great Northern

Another band avoiding the sophomore slump would be Great Northern. Remind Me Where The Light Is is extremely strong from start to finish. This album begs to be licensed to a movie soundtrack or various commercials. While Solon Bixler (Guitars/Vocals) doesn't sing on as many songs as I would have liked, he upped the ante in the sound department and conjured some intricate textures for the album.

Even though there is less of Solon, having more of Rachel Stolte (Vocals) is not necessarily a complaint as she really stretches out her vocals and becomes more of the focal point of the band. The recommended song for you to check out would be "Warning" with its lonely drumbeat and haunting piano riff that builds until it explodes into a climatic chorus. Great Northern will be hitting up the Echoplex with The Dears and Eulogies on May 23. I previously saw Great Northern rock the Roxy back in March.

Metric

If you want to talk about singing for the fences, I say look to Metric. I haven't seen Metric since October of 2007 when they played the Download Festival in San Francisco. I remember when I wrote that review that I heard the song "Stadium Love" and couldn't find it in their catalog.

Fantasies fulfills the promise of "Stadium Love" and I won't be surprised when Metric starts rocking stadiums with their batch of synthesizer fueled anthems. It should also be noted that Metric (along with Josh Freese) have wisely employed Topspin to distribute their album. Metric will be playing the Wiltern on June 8th.

Mini-Mansions

Another band that recently caught my eye was the emergence of Mini-Mansions which features the musical talents of Michael Shuman from Queens of the Stone Age and Wires On Fire. I was impressed when I saw them open for Autolux at the Detroit Bar.

Self-described as "Dark Comedy" music, I picked up more of a Replacements mixed with psychedelic vibe. We all know Michael shreds on the bass, but it is nice to see him step out and display some of his other musical skills. I will keep you posted on any upcoming shows.

Gliss at Spaceland

I neglected to publish a list of bands to watch in 2009. If I did, Gliss would most certainly be included as they prepare to release their new album Devotion Implosion in April. A few preview tunes have made an appearance on itunes with the tantalizing cover shot of a Fender Jazzmaster. This cover crosses into hollowed ground by invoking the sonic spirit of My Bloody Valentine's album Loveless.

Gliss







Gliss popped up on my radar back in December of 2006 when they played a KROQ Locals Only show. Feeling a bit under the weather, I soldiered out to Spaceland in the inclement climate for a thundering set by the dynamic trio. Spaceland was bustling with a number of people who had arrived early dispelling the myth that Los Angeles folks don't go out when it rains.

Gliss lived up to their cover art when Martin Klingman (Vocals/Guitars/Drums/Bass) unsheathed a Fender Jazzmaster from his guitar case for the shimmering chords of "The Patrol". I knew Gliss would debut some new songs, but I was unprepared for 8 of the 9 songs to be brand new. David Reiss (Guitars/Bass) would eventually get his turn on the Fender Jazzmaster as Gliss is renowned for switching off instruments throughout their set.

A buzzy bass line dictated "Morning Light" which immediately caught my ear but I would later by overwhelmed by jagged guitars and ethereal vocal harmonies washing over me. It was difficult to digest all the songs because I was pleasantly surprised by each song and the various shifts in tone and style between each song.

"Love Songs" was another newer song that I seemed to remember hearing before back at the Viper Room in 2007. "Blue Sky" was immediately recognizable with its crashing hi-hat pattern and howling guitars. The set winded down with the atmospheric "Sister Sister". Gliss will be heading down to SXSW but I will be keeping my eyes peeled for any other local dates.

Gliss setlist at Spaceland (2/6/09)
"The Patrol"
"Beauty"
"Morning Light"
"Anybody Inside"
"29 Acts of Love"
"Sleep"
"Love Songs"
"Blue Sky"
"Sister Sister"

Gliss at the Viper Room

Monday night's Check One,Two at the Viper Room boasted another fabulous line up with Gliss throwing a cd release party for their album "Love The Virgins". Gliss recently returned home from their cross country trek with the Raveonettes.

Shiloe


Shiloe started off the evening with a sound heavily influenced by the Pixies mixed with some Sonic Youth. Ken Ramos (Vocals/Guitar) had a vocal delivery that resembled Thurston Moore and was squeezing a sharp fuzz from his Gibson SG. Melissa Pleckham (Bass) had a Rickenbacker bass that was filling the room with low notes. Their latest release is "Please Remove Your Teeth From My Neck" which you can download from itunes. I will have to check them out again.

The Morning Benders



The Morning Benders came out with a handful of sunny sky pop songs in the vein of The Shins mixed with The Little Ones and Cold War Kids. Chris Chu (Vocals/Guitars) used his Fender Telecaster to draw up some wistful guitar tones. Joe Ferrell (Guitars/Keyboards) would alternate between his reverb punchy tone and playing some Rhodes keyboards. They have a self released cd coming in Spring of 2008. I particularly enjoyed the song "Damnit Anna". They have a few songs on their Myspace page for your perusal and listening pleasure.

Gliss







Gliss captured my attention almost a year ago when I saw them here. Gliss was celebrating the release of their album "Love The Virgins" which comes highly recommended if you enjoy Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or Jesus and The Mary Chain. Martin Klingman (Vocals/Guitars/Bass/Drums) has a compelling voice that meshes well with the dark alley dynamics of their music. Gliss also played some new songs that show even greater promise with one of the songs entitled "Love Songs" which had a spacey vibe to it. I will keep you posted when their cd is available in the stores.

The Idyllists





Idyllists got my attention early with the keyboard setup of a Virus Access TI and a Nord Lead 2x. Their music is a nice homage to Brit pop coated with synthesizers. Ian Webber (Vocals) wasn't confined to the stage at the Viper Room as he interacted with the audience and climbed on some speakers. When I wasn't being dazzled by the various synth effects, I was captivated by the jangly guitars that were heavily influenced by Johnny Marr and John Squire(Stone Roses). "Oblivious" and "My Mind Has Changed" are two songs I recommend you check out on their myspace page.

Midnight Movies and Gliss at the Detroit Bar

I was worried about missing Gliss and Midnight Movies as I waded amongst the masses after Blonde Redhead's electrifying set at Sunset Junction. I double timed it from Silverlake down to Costa Mesa just in time to catch a few songs of The Minor Canon.

Minor Canon


The Minor Canon had the stage packed with various instruments and members. I have been meaning to check them out for some time. Paul Larson (Vocals/Guitars) was in Strictly Ballroom and contributed guitars to the Dntel album "Dumb Luck". The Minor Canon is not an electronic outfit though and has an indie orchestral rock vibe. I didn't catch the whole set but was super impressed with their closing Pavement cover of "In The Mouth of a Desert" with bonus points for the call and response vocals. Their album "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished" is available on itunes or you can order directly from the band via Paypal.

Gliss



Gliss was up next and played their back alley garage rock tunes with fiery abandon. They opened with "Kissing The Blvd" with Martin Klingman drumming away adding his raspy whisper vocals. David Reiss was all over the stage thrashing his Les Paul in an effort to break a string so he could play his shiny new Gibson 330. Gliss then launched into the catchy "Make Believe" with a searing guitar line grinding against a wobbly keyboard groove. Victoria Cecilia was holding down the low end with her Fender Precision bass when she wasn't drumming away. Their album "Love The Virgins" will be released fairly soon and I recommend you pick it up. They will be touring with the like minded and sounding Raveonettes for an East coast swing.

Midnight Movies



Midnight Movies continue to tighten their live set. It was nice to see them headline their own show at the Detroit Bar. They showcased their psychedelic swirling indie rock. Gena Olivier (Keyboards/Drums/Vocals) triggered some spooky organ tones from her Korg MS2000 for the opening of "Patient Eye". Larry Schemel was doing an outstanding job on his Fender Telecaster using his Electro Harmonix Line Booster to get some smooth overdriven fuzzy tones. Ryan Wood mans the keyboards and will bust out his Fender Jaguar on a couple of tunes. He also as a small blue home made synth generator that he uses to add some textures to the songs. Gena displayed some of her drumming skils during "Should've Known" to give the song a tribal feel. "Strange Design" is one of my favorite Midnight Movies songs as it starts with a catchy bassline augmented with percolating synths that is featured on their self titled debut album. As the night ended, I was glad I would get another dose of Midnight Movies and Blonde Redhead on Sunday in Pomona.

Midnight Movies setlist for the Detroit Bar (8/18/2007)
"Patient Eye"
"Two Years"
"Should've Known"
"1910"
"Strange Design"
"Nights"
"Souvenirs"
"Lion Song"
"Parallel Paramour"

Gliss and Moderates at the Viper Room

Indie 103.1 Check One..Two by Mr. Shovel airs on Sunday night from 6-8 pm and features some of the finest upcoming Los Angeles bands. They also put their money where their mouth is and sponsor a Monday night showcase at the Viper Room featuring bands that they play on the show. I was fortunate to catch this most recent Monday night.

Black Kites



Black Kites started the evening with a dreamy keyboard shoegaze collage of sounds. They seem to be second cousins of Mazzy Star, Sea Ray, and Longwave. Evelyn Reyes (Keyboards/Vocals) was working the keys of her Nord Electro and Nord Lead 2x as she provided breathy vocals that meshed nicely with Alan Petherick (Guitars/Vocals) husky vocal delivery. Alan had an intense guitar effect setup in combination with his Vox AC30 to create his spacey sounds. I especially liked his use of the Boss Vibrato pedal. Their Black Kites EP is available on itunes for your downloading pleasure.

Io Echo




IO Echo had a haunting presence the second the curtains were drawn. I couldn't help thinking of a female fronted Bauhaus or shades of Siouxsie and the Banshees. The goth imagery was accompanied by some post punk fast paced rock that is not far from the Horrors and Bloodcat Love who are both top friends on their myspace page. "Addicted" lived up to its name as it featured a fast paced drum beat against some creepy keyboard layers. "I'm On Fire" ended with IO(Vocals) writhing on the floor in time with the feedback. They will be playing with Low vs Diamond at Spaceland on August 27th.

Gliss








Gliss had no problems following up IO Echo as they launched into their swirling hypnotic rock set. "Gimme The Hit" was spectacular as David Reiss (Guitars/Bass/Drums) was punishing his Les Paul and bending the notes until they broke into an explosion of feedback. "Kissing The Boulevard" filled the room with its snake like guitar lines and throbbing bassline. Martin Klingman covered all the bases as he switched between guitar, bass, drums and vocals. Victoria Cecilia contributed nicely handling drums and bass. "Huh..What?" had its pulling guitar lines contrasted with a super huge bass line that you may have heard on a Mastercard commercial. They play the unofficial Sunset Junction afterparty at the Detroit Bar on August 18th.


Moderates




Moderates closed the night with their catchy post punk indie songs. I always like to see bands multiple times to get a better handle of how they sound and gage their live show. The Moderates didn't have their trademark multi colored lights on stage, but made up for it in their performance as they laid down a droney driving set. After a second viewing I see more of a dreamier Burning Airlines and Jets to Brazil influence with amplified spacey textures in their music. They were distributing free copies of their EP "Anthony The Poet" which will quickly transport you away for 20 minutes of your life. They are currently heading back into the studio to record a full length album. Overall, an excellent Monday night of music.

Gliss at the Prospector

I like the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa quite a bit due its proximity to Amateur Chemist Headquarters. A very close second would be the Prospector. It is nestled on the corner of 7th street and Junipero in Long Beach and occasionally has some outstanding indie rock bills on Tuesday nights. It has a greatly relaxed atmosphere and the DJ spun some Autolux and Stars which was refreshing to hear.

Moderates


Moderates opened the evening cloaked in darkness with the exception of three different colored lights (Yellow,Blue and Red) that were switched on at different times in the set by the band members. I didn't know how to describe their sound at first, but later on I came up with the comparision that they sound like Jawbreaker if they were British and played a brand of atmospheric post-punk rock. The tricky thing is that they are from Loz Feliz. I appreciated the Gibson Hollowbody guitar delay colorings and the Fender Mustang guitar stabs. I was impressed.

Oslo


Oslo was up next and played an extended set due to the cancellation of Venus Infers. They have a new album out on Oct 9th entitled "The Rise and Fall of Love and Hate". Mattia Borrani (Guitars/Vocals) was strumming away on his Gibson Firebird as Damon Ramirez (Keyboards) had a nice setup of a Nord Lead 2 on top of his Korg Triton Studio. Mattia layed down some spacey guitar textures as Damon provided the clouds to the landscape of their sound. I hear elements of The Editors, Muse and The Bravery if I were to describe some influences.

Gliss






Gliss was the main reason I went to due to their gritty atmospheric brand of indie rock with moments of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club laced with the darkness of Interpol. I last caught them in Las Vegas when they were at the Art Bar. Gliss is on the fast track upwards with a recent stint opening for the Smashing Pumpkins in North Carolina and their recent deal with Cordless Records. They will soon embark on an east coast tour with the Raveonettes. All three members adeptly switched instruments making it interesting for the audience and themselves. In the guitar department they have a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe that they run through a Yamaha amplifier with a Turbo Pro Co Rat pedal providing the dirty overdriven tones. They use a Fender Precision Bass with a small Ampeg bass amp. In the drum department, they are endorsed by Thrust Drums. They opened with "Kissing The Blvd" and played a tight forty minute set that had me wanting more. I think they are purposely not playing "Moped" so that I keep going to their shows. I have got two more chances at the Viper Room and the Detroit Bar. I would recommend you go to the unofficial sunset junction afterparty at the Detroit Bar with Midnight Movies and Gliss. I will be there for sure.