The Album Leaf and Sea Wolf at the El Rey Theater

My appreciation for The Album Leaf dates back to when I used to see them open for Sigur Ros. Jimmy LaValle is the sole mastermind behind the Rhodes keyboard for The Album Leaf and recently relinquished some control to his skilled tourmates by recording their lastest album, A Chorus Of Storytellers as a full live band for a more cohesive output.

Sea Wolf





The fact that Sea Wolf was on the bill erased any doubts that this show would sell out. I was dissappointed that I missed their show in Las Vegas when they opened for Phoenix because of a photopass mix up. White Water, White Bloom is the latest release from Sea Wolf and displays a solid progression from their sparkling debut album, Leaves In The River.

Alex Church confidently stepped up to the microphone and proceeded to strum the warm chords of the title track from the new album. The singing cello intro of "Winter Windows" fluttered courtesy of Joyce Lee, as Lisa Fendelander delicately inserted the keyboards into the mix. The applause after each song seemed surprising to Church and his bandmates. It is safe to say that some folks definitely came solely to watch Sea Wolf.

"Dew In The Grass" starts off with a swooning cello line before picking up steam with its reaffirming chorus and cymbal splashes. Taking a slightly somber direction, the quiet plucked acoustic guitar parts of "Black Leaf Falls" highlight Church's vocals and demonstrate how well he can carry a song. The toe tapping beat of "Middle Distance Runner" wisely followed suit and sounded pristine.

Elevating the mood with the musically upbeat song "The Traitor", Sea Wolf easily had won over most of the crowd. "O Maria!" was another crowd pleaser from their latest album and lead nicely into "Turn The Dirt Over". Church missed a vocal cue during "Wicked Blood' but covered up his gaffe with a wry smile. "You're A Wolf" closed out their forty minute set that made me realize I still need to catch a full set by Sea Wolf as I didn't hear my favorite song "The Cold, The Dark & The Silence".

The Album Leaf





It was overwhelming seeing the amount of band members take the stage for The Album Leaf. I'm used to seeing The Album Leaf as a four man outfit back when they played the Echo and Detroit Bar. Accompanied by the Magik Magik String Quartet, the El Rey stage was completely full. The other surprise was seeing Gram Lebron holding down the low end as I'm used to see him play in Rogue Wave.

The iconic leaf image was projected on the background screen as the somber organ like notes of "Ferro" started to reverberate throughout the El Rey. Violins started to swirl during "Blank Pages" gently propelled by the drums of Tim Reece. The Album Leaf are masters of conjuring up lush collages of sound. Only within the past few albums have they wisely added vocals to their songs such as "There Is A Wind".

A stuttering electronic drum beat was overshadowed by Magik Magik String Quartet and the icy cool Rhodes keyboards notes for "Within Dreams". I started to suspect they were going to play the full new album in its entirety after playing "Falling From The Sun" and the hypnotic drum shuffle of "Stand Still" back to back. The familiar glockenspiel pecks of "Twenty Two Fourteen" garnered cheers from the crowd as they seemed eager to hear some older material.

Continuing to play material from In A Safe Place, "The Outer Banks" was another breezy Rhodes keyboard riff highlighted by the pitter patter of electronic drums and ringing repetitive guitar notes by Drew Andrews. Venturing back to their latest album, "We Are" is one of my favorite tracks with its driving percussion, yet the string section really made the song soar.

"Wherever I Go" was one of my favorite tunes from their album, Into the Blue Again and brought their main set to a close. "Always For You" , "Red-Eye" and "Tied Knots" rounded out the encore for a sublime evening. The Album Leaf will be back touring the country with Sea Wolf and I hope they make another Los Angeles stop before the tour ends or I may have to venture down to San Diego.

The Album Leaf at the Detroit Bar

I am extremely glad The Album Leaf love the Detroit Bar as much as I do. I have managed to catch the Album Leaf at the Detroit Bar two other times in prior years and they always have the sound dialed in. This particular night was no exception as the Album Leaf sounded spectacular.

What Laura Says Thinks And Feels





What Laura Says Thinks And Feels passed the test again with a even better sounding set at the Detroit Bar. It is always interesting for me to see a band that I am not familiar with twice in a row because if I remember the general structure of the songs then I will purchase the cd. What Laura Says Thinks and Feels played a too brief thirty minute set that seemed to have them kicking it in high gear before their time limit hit. Jacob Woolsey (Percussion) was up to his usual noise making antics pulling out an instrument that I can only remember from the days of Cake. Unfortunately, I was not able to get a setlist to report what specific songs they played but I recommend you check out their website for some spins. I quickly remembered they played "Couldn't Lose Myself If I Tried" after hearing the first few notes on their website.

Kill Me Tomorrow





Kill Me Tomorrow rattled the audience's eardrums with a solid batch of primal tunes. Dan Wise (Guitars) understandably was wearing a Velvet Underground shirt that makes a good reference point to their overall sound. The similarity of Zack Wentz(Drums) to Eugene Hutz from Gogol Bordello is uncanny but mostly involves the crazy mustache. Zack was leading the tribal romp on one of their new songs "Social Security". The core of the sound is primarily constructed with the raw bass lines of K8 Wince and Zack's drums but Dan's guitars sew up the songs make them whole. My curiosity was piqued enough to investigate future releases from the band.

The Album Leaf






The Album Leaf travels with their own sound mixer because their sound is so complex. I would like to tip my hat to this gentlemen because the Detroit Bar was sounding top notch on this particular night. The Detroit bar happens to be a bit darker inside compared to the Echo and this worked to the Album Leaf's advantage in the visual department as one could clearly see the variety of images projected on the white backdrop. I would also like to report that their projectionist had a Korg Kaoss Pad Entrancer. The Album Leaf played a similar set to their Echo Show which was fine by me. "Shine" did exactly what its named for as Timothy Reece (Drums) nailed the slightly off drum beat. "Brennivin" from their "Seal Beach EP" was dreamy with its programmed electronic drum glitches interspersed with soaring keyboards and Matthew Resovich's (Violin/Keyboards) stunning violin talents. "Red-Eye" from their album "Into The Blue Again" was well received from the audience as the Minimoog Voyager made a guest appearance. The Album Leaf is off to Japan for a few dates and I eagerly await their new album.

The Album Leaf at the Echo

I was disappointed that I had a concert conflict the last time The Album Leaf were in town at the El Rey Theatre. I did manage to catch part of their set at San Diego Street Scene. I was honestly surprised they booked a show at the tiny Echo but I didn't think about it twice as I snatched up a ticket. I think the first time I saw The Album Leaf was at the Wiltern in 2002 when they opened for Sigur Ros.I also traveled to Arizona in 2003 to catch Sigur Ros and the Album Leaf at Nita's Hideaway.

What Laura Says Thinks and Feels





It is close to impossible to open a show for the Album Leaf because their music is so different and ambient. What Laura Says Thinks And Feels hailing from Tempe, Arizona stepped up to the challenge with solid results. What Laura Says Thinks And Feels combine elements of southern soul rock spliced with Beach Boys vocal harmonies and adept musicianship. Danny Godbold (Keyboards/Guitars/Vocals) traded vocal duties with James Mulhern (Vocals/Guitars) to further mix up their sunny soulful songs. Jacob Woolsey (Percussion) was the secret ingredient to their musical potion as he added different forms of percussion via metal bowls, glasses with water and assorted weirdness to the mix. They will not be unsigned for long.

Kill Me Tomorrow





Kill Me Tomorrow hails from San Diego and had a lot of interesting equipment on stage that had me intrigued before they went into their intoxicating set. K8 (Bass) had a black Rickenbacker bass that she ran through a Pro Co Rat distortion pedal for a growling bass tone. Dan Wise(Guitars) had a Line 6 Delay and Filter pedal set up for his hollowbody guitar. Dan's guitar tone was in the piercing realm of the reverb like the Raveonettes. Zack Wentz(Drums) had a stand up drum kit assembled as he flailed away while singing their surf noir crime punk tunes. I was amused they titled their setlist "KMT Hits".

The Album Leaf






The Album Leaf appeal to my synthesizer side as they have synths galore on stage combined with Jimmy LaValle's classically trained Fender Rhoades piano playing. I don't want to estimate the dollar amount of gear on stage but between the MiniMoog Voyager, Moog Little Phatty, Moog Prodigy and the Fender Rhoades could easily get you a decent car. They opened with "Into The Sea" from their latest release "Into The Blue Again" with its hypnotic piano lines and atmospheric synths filling the room. "Always For You" is one of the rare songs from The Album Leaf that includes singing and is a great example why they need to sing on more songs. "Writings on the Wall" starts off like a piano lullaby before the crying violin sounds fill out the song. Drew Andrews (Guitars/Keyboards) was behind his synth station switching between Fender Telecaster Deluxe and his Alesis Keyboard micron. Matthew Resovich (Violin/Keyboards) had a Electro Harmonix POG in his pedalboard for his violin which is an absolutely insane idea. "Wherever I Go" is another song with vocals from all members of the Album Leaf and ranks as one of my top Album Leaf songs. I was secretly hoping to hear "Story Board" from their second album "One Day I'll Be On Time" but haven't heard the song live in years as Jimmy used to play guitar on the song. The Album Leaf are a must see live act because it is a rare combination of visuals and music that ultimately satisfies the senses. I was even more excited to catch them the next night at the Detroit Bar.

The Album Leaf setlist for the Echo

San Diego Street Scene Day 2 (9/23/07)

The Crowd...sort of


Editors




The Editors were a bright spot at Street Scene in 2006 and retain that distinction in 2007. I was disappointed that they had a mini twenty five minute slot on the main stage and would have preferred them on a smaller stage but with a longer set time. The other conflict was that The Album Leaf were playing the same time on another stage. Tom Smith (Vocals/Guitar) was full of energy as he emphatically cut into the slicing riff of "Bullets". Chris Urbanowicz (Guitars) was tremelo picking away on his black Rickenbacker guitar laying the down the contrast to the baritone vocals from Tom. Russell Leetch was plowing away on his black Rickenbacker bass keeping all the band members locked in. Tom snuck behind his piano as he tapped out the opening chords to "The Racing Rats". "Munich" was received very well and many of the audience members clapped in time. "Smokers Outside Hospital Doors" is one of favorite songs off their latest release "An End Has A Start" and was perfect as Chris nailed all the tremolo picking parts of the song. The band alternated old song with new song as they exceeded their twenty five minute limit by five minutes by sneaking in "Fingers In The Factories" to close out their set. I was relieved that I had tickets to see them the next night at the Wiltern.

The Editors Setlist for the Coors Amphitheatre at San Diego Street Scene (9/23/07)
"Bullets"
"An End Has A Start"
"Blood"
"The Racing Rats"
"Munich"
"Smokers Outside Hospital Doors"
"Fingers In The Factories"

The Album Leaf




After the closing of the Editors set, I ran over to the other stage to see San Diego's The Album Leaf. I have enjoyed The Album Leaf ever since they opened for Sigur Ros many years ago. I even went to Arizona to see Sigur Ros and The Album Leaf for a weekend followed by Sevendust the next night at Nita's Hideaway in 2003. Jimmy Lavalle (Keyboards/Vocals) has an elaborate keyboard setup that involves a Moog Voyager and a vintage Fender Rhodes electric piano with a MicroKorg on top. I missed most of their set but did get to hear "On Your Way" from their album "In A Safe Place". "Wherever I Go"off their latest album "Into The Blue Again" sounded excellent with Drew Andrews (Guitars) weaving hypnotic guitar lines against the backdrop of the violin and keyboards. It reminded me that I need to see them in a small club with the visuals.


Louis XIV



Just a few months ago, I saw Louis XIV at the OC fair opening for She Wants Revenge. The sound was mixed a lot better this time at the Coors Amphitheatre and they played a solid set. They had augmented their line up with a violin player who also played some additional keyboards. Louis XIV just released a new digital EP entitled "The Distances From Everyone To You" which has a cover of Flash Gordon's theme on it. Jason Hill (Vocals/Guitars) seemed excited to play a hometown show and was stomping across the stage. They played an assortment of songs including "There's A Traitor In The Room", "Finding Out True Love Is Blind", "Paper Doll", and "Pledge of Allegiance".

Arctic Monkeys


I was disappointed that Air was slotted against the Arctic Monkeys but opted for the supercharged angular brit pop rock of the Arctic Monkeys. After seeing their set, I remembered how good their show at the Troubadour was. The Arctic Monkeys wasted no time getting the audience moving after playing a new instrumental song by roaring into "This House Is A Circus". I am still amazed how well Alex Turner (Vocals/Guitars) can deliver his rapid fire vocals and pound away on his guitar. Jamie Cook (Guitars) was adding the other knife like guitar stabs with Gibson hollowbody and backing Hiwatt amplifiers. Alex Turner was playing his Fender guitar and had a Bad Cat amplifier. There was a little too much reverb on Alex's voice but the band was really tight and the fans in the pit were bouncing around. The crowd reacted especially strong to the double shot of "Fake Tales Of San Francisco" and "I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor". The reverb laden chords of "Do Me A Favour" were even dreamier compared to the recorded version of the song and Matt Helders (Drums) were the driving force behind the song. The Arctic Monkeys played a new song "Nettles" that featured a few tempo changes and a fuzzy lead guitar riff. They closed their set with "If You Were There, Beware" but hinted they would be back in 2008.

Arctic Monkeys Setlist for the Coors Amphitheatre at San Diego Street Scene (9/23/07)
"Wagon On the Way To Stripey Tent"
"This House Is A Circus"
"Brianstorm"
"Still Take You Home"
"Dancing Shoes"
"From Ritz to The Rubble"
"Fake Tales Of San Francisco"
"I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor"
"When The Sun Goes Down"
"Teddypicker"
"Do Me A Favour"
"Nettles"
"The View From The Afternoon"
"If You Were There, Beware"


The Killers



The Killers are back on tour after taking a mini break from their large arena tour of the States in support of "Sam's Town". They will be releasing a new B-sides album entitled "Sawdust" which features their cover of Joy Division's "Shadowplay" that ruled when I saw them at Staples Center . A gigantic screen was hoisted across the stage that showed a cartoon of Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam prior to explosion of confetti and the soaring into "Sam's Town". Brandon Flowers(Vocals/Synths) was all over the stage and on top of his piano at various points of the evening. He has effectively hidden his keyboards with a slew of antlers on his keyboard stand but last time I checked he was still playing his Nord Lead 2 and MicroKorg. They ran through the first three tracks of "Sam's Town" and showed no signs of rust. The opening synth pads of "Bones" rang throughout the amphitheatre and sounded epic. The shrill of the screams from the females in the audience signified that they approved of the selection of "Somebody Told Me" next on the setlist. "Smile Like You Mean It" is one of my favorite tracks from Hot Fuss and I can duplicate the sythn lines on my Korg Legacy collection Polysix strings preset. It was amazing to hear the crowd roar during the synth breakdown of "Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine". Never underestimate the power of synthesizers. The opening swell of the keyboards to "Read My Mind" led to a crowd clap along. Brandon ended "My List" with a little segway into Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You". The crowd had to participate again for the uplifting closer "All These Things I've Done".

The Killers Setlist for the Coors Amphitheatre at San Diego Street Scene (9/23/07)
"Sam's Town"
"Enterlude"
"When You Were Young"
"Bones"
"Somebody Told Me"
"Smile Like You Mean It"
"Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine"
"Uncle Jonny"
"This River Is Wild"
"Read My Mind"
"Mr. Brightside"
"My List"
"For Reasons Unknown"
"All These Things I've Done"