Check out my photos of Backwards Clock Society with Billy Corgan at the Echoplex over on Stereogum.
Check out the archives for prior Billy Corgan endeavors.
Showing posts with label The Pity Party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Pity Party. Show all posts
Monday, November 09, 2009
Backwards Clock Society at the Echoplex
Check out my photos of Backwards Clock Society with Billy Corgan at the Echoplex over on Stereogum.
Check out the archives for prior Billy Corgan endeavors.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Autolux at the Detroit Bar
Check out my photos of Autolux and The Pity Party at the Detroit Bar over at OC Weekly. This was easily one of the top 5 shows ever at the Detroit Bar.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Film School and The Pity Party at Spaceland
Some of my favorite Los Angeles based bands played together for a banner night at Spaceland. The number of effect pedals that collectively cluttered the stage on this particular night must have hit one hundred. I couldn't have been any happier.
The Meeting Places
I unfortunately missed the return showing for The Meeting Places at the Silverlake Lounge. I was excited that they were added to the bill with The Pity Party and Film School as their textural soundscapes started off the evening. I can only describe The Meeting Places as a cross between the song structures of Lush and noisy shoegaze of My Bloody Valentine. I have had a few discussions about guitar pedals with Scott Mcdonald (Guitars) and he impressed me with his use of Roger Mayer pedals. Chase Harris had an equally impressive setup as he had some Analog Man pedals in his arsenal. Their double Fender Jazzmaster attack was extremely effective as they worked through "Love Like The Movies". "Where'd You Go" filled all of Spaceland with ripples of dense reverb. The Meeting Places are currently working on new material and hopefully they will debut some new material next time I catch them.
The Pity Party
The Pity Party perservered. An unfortunate bicycle accident claimed the talented finger of M (Guitars/Vocals) who was bandaged and battered. Luckily, The Pity Party has a lot of friends in high places as they recruited Will from The Deadly Syndrome, Hiram from The Human Value and Jason 71 from Eskimohunter to pitch in sonic reinterruptations of the fractured songs of the Pity Party. "H.O.T.S" was an adrenaline pumping rocker as Heisenflei (Drums/Vocals) started off so fast that they started the song over again. Jason 71 added some interesting octaves to "Love Lies" to fill out the sound as M was stationed behind the microphone singing along. I enjoyed the reengineered versions of the songs and started to think that someone should orchestrate a cover show featuring a slew of Los Angeles bands. I implore you to visit the Pity Party myspace page and purchase their Orgy Porgy EP which should expedite the healing of M's finger.
Film School
Film School wrapped up another US tour with a hometown blow out at Spaceland. They have been touring since early July and were a finely tuned noise wrecking machine. I have come to the conclusion that after every time I see Film School it is my favorite show. My number of reviews for Film School is rapidly approaching the 20's as they wind down the touring cycle for Hideout. I was absolutely floored when Lorelei Plotczyk (Bass) played the descending bass line for "Harmed" which is one of the few songs I haven't heard live. "Sick Hipster Nursed By Suicide Girl" is still one of my favorite songs and drowns the listener in sound. Film School will head out to the UK with British Sea Power for a number of dates before they head back into the studio to work on the next record. I can easily testify that they have come a long way since I first saw them almost a year ago at Spaceland. I am sure they will dazzle the UK with their massive wall of sound. I can only hope that I get to hear their follow up to Hideout soon.
The Meeting Places
I unfortunately missed the return showing for The Meeting Places at the Silverlake Lounge. I was excited that they were added to the bill with The Pity Party and Film School as their textural soundscapes started off the evening. I can only describe The Meeting Places as a cross between the song structures of Lush and noisy shoegaze of My Bloody Valentine. I have had a few discussions about guitar pedals with Scott Mcdonald (Guitars) and he impressed me with his use of Roger Mayer pedals. Chase Harris had an equally impressive setup as he had some Analog Man pedals in his arsenal. Their double Fender Jazzmaster attack was extremely effective as they worked through "Love Like The Movies". "Where'd You Go" filled all of Spaceland with ripples of dense reverb. The Meeting Places are currently working on new material and hopefully they will debut some new material next time I catch them.
The Pity Party
The Pity Party perservered. An unfortunate bicycle accident claimed the talented finger of M (Guitars/Vocals) who was bandaged and battered. Luckily, The Pity Party has a lot of friends in high places as they recruited Will from The Deadly Syndrome, Hiram from The Human Value and Jason 71 from Eskimohunter to pitch in sonic reinterruptations of the fractured songs of the Pity Party. "H.O.T.S" was an adrenaline pumping rocker as Heisenflei (Drums/Vocals) started off so fast that they started the song over again. Jason 71 added some interesting octaves to "Love Lies" to fill out the sound as M was stationed behind the microphone singing along. I enjoyed the reengineered versions of the songs and started to think that someone should orchestrate a cover show featuring a slew of Los Angeles bands. I implore you to visit the Pity Party myspace page and purchase their Orgy Porgy EP which should expedite the healing of M's finger.
Film School
Film School wrapped up another US tour with a hometown blow out at Spaceland. They have been touring since early July and were a finely tuned noise wrecking machine. I have come to the conclusion that after every time I see Film School it is my favorite show. My number of reviews for Film School is rapidly approaching the 20's as they wind down the touring cycle for Hideout. I was absolutely floored when Lorelei Plotczyk (Bass) played the descending bass line for "Harmed" which is one of the few songs I haven't heard live. "Sick Hipster Nursed By Suicide Girl" is still one of my favorite songs and drowns the listener in sound. Film School will head out to the UK with British Sea Power for a number of dates before they head back into the studio to work on the next record. I can easily testify that they have come a long way since I first saw them almost a year ago at Spaceland. I am sure they will dazzle the UK with their massive wall of sound. I can only hope that I get to hear their follow up to Hideout soon.
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Pity Party and Mezzanine Owls at Alex's Bar
I try to cover as many venues as humanly possible but was still astounded that I haven't had a chance to review a show at Alex's Bar in Long Beach. Alex's Bar is a tad larger then the cozy Prospector but with its own distinct vibe. Both institutions serve the Long Beach community well and tirelessly support the local scene. It was apparently chaotic at Alex's a few weeks ago when some band played a secret show.
Coco B's
Coco B's have been on my radar and I walked in to Alex's just as they were starting their set. I immediately detected some influences of Archers of Loaf and Pavement in their jangle driven indie rock. Upon further investigation, Coco B's run a nice little blog on their site that highlighted The Helio Sequence, No Age and New Order so I gave them extra points for good taste. The Coco B's also released a split cd with the snowy Eskimohunter on Grand Theft Autumn Records which is a label run by the gentlemen of Hey Mercedes who used to be in Braid. I unfortunately didn't catch any song titles but was intrigued enough that I will catch a future show.
The Pity Party
Fresh from storming the U.K. and appearing in NME was The Pity Party. I caught them prior to their departure to the U.K. and could sense they were ready to conquer the British. The Pity Party was ginsu sharp as they sliced through a tight set. M (Guitars/Vocals) has dissassembled his massive Ground Control Pro system to a handful of pedals. His mastery of the Rocket was evident throughout the night as he frequently added some extra fuzz sauce to their spicy songs. "H.O.T.S" was performed at a feverish pace and Heisenflei (Drums) was drumming up a tornado. The Pity Party will be playing a show at the Echo Curio on July 3rd with Chase Frank to support Ronald Dzerigian who provides all the bizarre artwork for their EP "Orgy Porgy". I heard whispers of a return to the U.K. but I hope I will have a full length album in my hands before they leave.
The Secret 6
The Secret 6 played a hometown show celebrating the release of their full length album Close Enemies. It has been a while since I last caught up with The Secret 6 when I saw them open for Eskimohunter at Spaceland. James Thompson (Vocals/Guitars) still had his trusty Fender Stratocaster howling through his Orange halfstack as they tackled a few numbers from their new album. I didn't see the Nord Lead in their setup but saw a Roland keyboard in its place. I imagine they will tour more locally to support their album's release.
Mezzanine Owls
After a successful Spaceland residency, the Mezzanine Owls had the good fortune of opening for Swervedriver at the Fillmore. I still frequently listen to their Jaxart 7 inch EP release which I highly recommend your purchase here. "Drift" opened the festivities as the Mezzanine Owls showcased their tight sound and dream fuzz guitars. Jonathan Zetlin (Guitars) has morphed his sound from what I described in prior reviews as a "twilight sparkle" into a newly coined "twilight supernova" as he has added a few secret pedal weapons to his overall sound. Dan Horne (Bass) was holding down the low end and did the requisite beer chug during the breakdown of one of their songs. I was really impressed with the two new songs they played on this night as I remembered hearing them at Spaceland during their residency. The Mezzanine Owls don't have any scheduled upcoming shows so I hope they are working on a new album.
Coco B's
Coco B's have been on my radar and I walked in to Alex's just as they were starting their set. I immediately detected some influences of Archers of Loaf and Pavement in their jangle driven indie rock. Upon further investigation, Coco B's run a nice little blog on their site that highlighted The Helio Sequence, No Age and New Order so I gave them extra points for good taste. The Coco B's also released a split cd with the snowy Eskimohunter on Grand Theft Autumn Records which is a label run by the gentlemen of Hey Mercedes who used to be in Braid. I unfortunately didn't catch any song titles but was intrigued enough that I will catch a future show.
The Pity Party
Fresh from storming the U.K. and appearing in NME was The Pity Party. I caught them prior to their departure to the U.K. and could sense they were ready to conquer the British. The Pity Party was ginsu sharp as they sliced through a tight set. M (Guitars/Vocals) has dissassembled his massive Ground Control Pro system to a handful of pedals. His mastery of the Rocket was evident throughout the night as he frequently added some extra fuzz sauce to their spicy songs. "H.O.T.S" was performed at a feverish pace and Heisenflei (Drums) was drumming up a tornado. The Pity Party will be playing a show at the Echo Curio on July 3rd with Chase Frank to support Ronald Dzerigian who provides all the bizarre artwork for their EP "Orgy Porgy". I heard whispers of a return to the U.K. but I hope I will have a full length album in my hands before they leave.
The Secret 6
The Secret 6 played a hometown show celebrating the release of their full length album Close Enemies. It has been a while since I last caught up with The Secret 6 when I saw them open for Eskimohunter at Spaceland. James Thompson (Vocals/Guitars) still had his trusty Fender Stratocaster howling through his Orange halfstack as they tackled a few numbers from their new album. I didn't see the Nord Lead in their setup but saw a Roland keyboard in its place. I imagine they will tour more locally to support their album's release.
Mezzanine Owls
After a successful Spaceland residency, the Mezzanine Owls had the good fortune of opening for Swervedriver at the Fillmore. I still frequently listen to their Jaxart 7 inch EP release which I highly recommend your purchase here. "Drift" opened the festivities as the Mezzanine Owls showcased their tight sound and dream fuzz guitars. Jonathan Zetlin (Guitars) has morphed his sound from what I described in prior reviews as a "twilight sparkle" into a newly coined "twilight supernova" as he has added a few secret pedal weapons to his overall sound. Dan Horne (Bass) was holding down the low end and did the requisite beer chug during the breakdown of one of their songs. I was really impressed with the two new songs they played on this night as I remembered hearing them at Spaceland during their residency. The Mezzanine Owls don't have any scheduled upcoming shows so I hope they are working on a new album.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Sweet Relief Benefit at the Echo
Benefit shows can be hit or miss but the line up of Karin Tatoyan, Afternoons, The Franks, and The Pity Party was a hit. The show was a benefit for the Sweet Relief Organization which provides financial assistance to musicians with illness, disability and age-related problems.
Karin Tatoyan
Karin Tatoyan raised many eyebrows when I saw her Spaceland show opening for the Pity Party. Karin's voice is distinctive and attention grabbing as she is backed by an extremely capable band that mixes various ingredients of French horn, Cello, electronic glitches and ethereal keyboards. The comparisons to Bjork's voice will be referenced throughout her career but on this particular night I also heard some influence of Dolores O'Riordan from the Cranberries. "Someday I Will Inform You" started off the evening with a slow ember burning build of musical sounds as Karin commands your attention with her voice. "Fit In" is hypnotic with its psychosis fueled piano keys. I also enjoyed a portion of the show that had Karin sing into the pickup of the cello as it was sampled and played back. I envision her show at the Wiltern with a larger backing band in the near future.
The Franks
The Franks seemed really familiar to me for some reason and I couldn't put my finger on it for some reason. I later realized that The Franks are led by Colin Stutz (Vocals/Guitars) who I met at a Beck secret show a few years ago. Colin wanted a photo of my Beck setlist for his article for Filter magazine. It was funny to see Colin on TV later on as part of the "I'm From Rolling Stone" reality show. Colin now fronts the rambling garage rock of The Franks. The songs didn't last past a few minutes and came in rapid fire. They were not necessarily tight, but I think that was the point. It was a sloppy fun filled set.
Afternoons
Irving unfortunately has split up since Alex Church went on to form Sea Wolf. The rest of Irving have moved on to start the Afternoons. I was eager to check out the Afternoons since I really enjoyed all of Irving's material. The Afternoons delivered a sparkling set that strayed only slightly from the musical styles of Irving. A propulsive bass riff kicked off "Graffiti Artist" as the jangling guitars glided into place. My ears were already perked when a trumpet sounded to fill out their sound. Brian Canning and Steven Scott handled the guitars and vocals with Claire Mckeown adding another layer of opera like vocals. The Afternoons only have four songs on their Myspace page but I assume they will have some more material in time for their Spaceland residency in June. It won't take long for the Afternoons to reconstitute the buzz they had with Irving and propel them to greater heights.
The Pity Party
The Pity Party continues to rock my world. M (Guitars/Vocals) and Heisenflei (Drums/Vocals) are embarking on a mini tour of the UK so I figured I would catch their show before NME gets wind of their fiery live act and puts them on the cover of their magazine. "Every A.M." has been their trademark opening song that melted in a barrage of feedback by M as they segued into the drum machine beat of "The Natural Want". The crackling feedback continued to snarl as "Yr Life=Nice" taxed the speaker cones of the house system. "Love Lies" is as warm and fuzzy as it sounds in a bizarre Pity Party fashion as the guitars and drums are mashed together. I still can't put my finger on why I like "HOTS" so much but I think it lies somewhere in the drum beat and the multitude of tempo changes. The Pity Party don't have anymore Los Angeles dates scheduled anytime soon, but I recommend all my UK readers do whatever they can to see one of Los Angeles's finest bands.
Karin Tatoyan
Karin Tatoyan raised many eyebrows when I saw her Spaceland show opening for the Pity Party. Karin's voice is distinctive and attention grabbing as she is backed by an extremely capable band that mixes various ingredients of French horn, Cello, electronic glitches and ethereal keyboards. The comparisons to Bjork's voice will be referenced throughout her career but on this particular night I also heard some influence of Dolores O'Riordan from the Cranberries. "Someday I Will Inform You" started off the evening with a slow ember burning build of musical sounds as Karin commands your attention with her voice. "Fit In" is hypnotic with its psychosis fueled piano keys. I also enjoyed a portion of the show that had Karin sing into the pickup of the cello as it was sampled and played back. I envision her show at the Wiltern with a larger backing band in the near future.
The Franks
The Franks seemed really familiar to me for some reason and I couldn't put my finger on it for some reason. I later realized that The Franks are led by Colin Stutz (Vocals/Guitars) who I met at a Beck secret show a few years ago. Colin wanted a photo of my Beck setlist for his article for Filter magazine. It was funny to see Colin on TV later on as part of the "I'm From Rolling Stone" reality show. Colin now fronts the rambling garage rock of The Franks. The songs didn't last past a few minutes and came in rapid fire. They were not necessarily tight, but I think that was the point. It was a sloppy fun filled set.
Afternoons
Irving unfortunately has split up since Alex Church went on to form Sea Wolf. The rest of Irving have moved on to start the Afternoons. I was eager to check out the Afternoons since I really enjoyed all of Irving's material. The Afternoons delivered a sparkling set that strayed only slightly from the musical styles of Irving. A propulsive bass riff kicked off "Graffiti Artist" as the jangling guitars glided into place. My ears were already perked when a trumpet sounded to fill out their sound. Brian Canning and Steven Scott handled the guitars and vocals with Claire Mckeown adding another layer of opera like vocals. The Afternoons only have four songs on their Myspace page but I assume they will have some more material in time for their Spaceland residency in June. It won't take long for the Afternoons to reconstitute the buzz they had with Irving and propel them to greater heights.
The Pity Party
The Pity Party continues to rock my world. M (Guitars/Vocals) and Heisenflei (Drums/Vocals) are embarking on a mini tour of the UK so I figured I would catch their show before NME gets wind of their fiery live act and puts them on the cover of their magazine. "Every A.M." has been their trademark opening song that melted in a barrage of feedback by M as they segued into the drum machine beat of "The Natural Want". The crackling feedback continued to snarl as "Yr Life=Nice" taxed the speaker cones of the house system. "Love Lies" is as warm and fuzzy as it sounds in a bizarre Pity Party fashion as the guitars and drums are mashed together. I still can't put my finger on why I like "HOTS" so much but I think it lies somewhere in the drum beat and the multitude of tempo changes. The Pity Party don't have anymore Los Angeles dates scheduled anytime soon, but I recommend all my UK readers do whatever they can to see one of Los Angeles's finest bands.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Pity Party and Film School at Spaceland
This show marks the eighth time I have witnessed the musical mastery of The Pity Party. Their residency at Spaceland featured another outstanding line up with What Made Milwaukee Famous and Film School. I was hoping the month of March gives me a break but I hear Voxhaul Broadcast will be doing a Spaceland residency and the Viper Room has We Barbarians and Jim Noir so I doubt it.
What Made Milwaukee Famous
What Made Milwaukee Famous is doing a mini tour of Los Angeles to promote their latest release due March 4th on Barsuk records "What Doesn't Kill Us". This mini tour serves as a tune up before they embark on a full U.S. tour with Louis XIV. What Made Milwaukee Famous cut to the chase immediately with a searing fuzzed rock version of "Blood, Sweat, and Fears" from their new album. Michael Kingcaid (Vocals/Guitars) seemed to be focused on his vocals now that his guitar burden has been lifted by the slashing riffs of Jason Davis (Guitars) on his G&L guitar. What Made Milwaukee Famous have toned down the synths on the newer songs and turned up the rock as they worked through "Cheap Wine". They are playing with the Henry Clay People on February 25 at the Echo.
Film School
It was lucky show review number seven for Film School as I still have their album "Hideout" on major rotation. Film School has never let me down and delivered the goods with an added projection show to win over a hoard of new fans. Film School are restarting the touring machine as they gear up for SXSW and some upcoming dates with Airiel that I will be attending. Film School had me fooled from the beginning of their set as they started with dense sheets of feedback and atmosphere that evaporated into the soaring guitars of "Compare". Dave Dupuis (Guitars) converted his guitar into a tremolo swirling hurricane machine that blasted your eardrums while Greg Bertens (Vocals/Guitars) covered the remaining frequencies of the sonic spectrum. Lorelei Plotczyk (Bass) had her trusty Fender Mustang bass rumbling with a vintage Big Muff distortion pedal and an Electro Harmonix Graphic Fuzz at her disposal. The punishment on your eardrums did not subside as they launched into "Sick Hipster Nursed By Suicide Girl" that was quite possibly the loudest version I have heard yet with Dave engaging his Wah pedal for showers of feedback. The whole audience was engulfed in a storm of noise and visuals. "11:11" had an extended noisy intro before James Smith (Drums) came in with the beat as Jason Ruck (Keyboards) added his synthesizer magic. "Lectric" closed out Film School's set but they will be back next month and I recommend you bring your earplugs.
The Pity Party
The haunting chords from Heisenflei's (Vocals/Drums/Keyboards) Microkorg filled Spaceland as it was time for The Pity Party. "Wanting Want" goes by too quickly as the song ends just when you think its about to begin. Welcome to the devious world of the Pity Party. I was baffled by M's (Vocals/Guitars) guitar setup last week as his pedal collection continues to grow at a rapid pace. The secret pedal in his arsenal can finally be revealed as a Devi Ever Rocket pedal that can be purchased at Analogue Haven. The Rocket served as a sneak attack weapon that M unleashed during "Yours,That Works" with blasts of squeals worked into the song. This is yet another reason to see The Pity Party as their songs continue to morph and evolve over time. "Dronebots and Peons For Eons and Eons" was a highlight for me as Heisenflei deftly displayed her drumming and keyboard skills at the same time. "LoveLies" is a crowd favorite and is available on their homemade new EP "Orgy Porgy". "Every P.M." was the bookend to The Pity Party's set as another fifty minute set came to an end. The Pity Party close out their residency this Monday as it will probably be the last time you can see them for free.
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