Film School at Fingerprints Records

Film School's new album "Hideout" is available now. I bought mine at Fingerprints Records and got a cool bonus vinyl 7 inch record along with a poster and a sticker. I have been eagerly awaiting their new cd "Hideout" since they dazzled a sold out Spaceland audience. Film School at Fingerprints Records was a no brainer for me. Fingerprints has a good track record for amazing instores. I really didn't know what to expect in terms of Film School playing acoustically or a full electric set. When I saw the pedalboards on the stage, I knew I was about to get rocked. I did notice that Dave Dupuis (Guitars) had added an Electro Harmonix Holiest Grail Reverb to his already huge setup. Greg Bartens (Vocals/Guitars) alson got into the act with the addition of a TC Helicon VoiceLive Vocal Floor Processor. Starting at a volume of "6" they launched into "Compare" which was just as hypnotic as the cd version with extra emphasis in the mix of the keyboard parts courtesy of Jason Ruck. The volume creeped up slowly to a "7" as Greg "accidently" stepped on his distortion pedal during "Deep Lake". "Two Kinds" was next as the decibel level started to rise. "Plots and Plans" showcased the dreamy harmonies of Lorelei Plotczyk (Bass,Vocals) and Greg. "Sick Of The Shame" was played at near full volume and sounded fantastic. I also should note Dave was using his foot to control some of the knobs on his modified Electro Harmonix Memory Man mid song. Fingerprints was rattling by the time Lorelei started in on the distorted bass line of "Lectric". I will attempt a double review night on Oct 7th when I see The Shins at the Greek Theatre and then Film School at the Detroit Bar.

Film School Setlist at Fingerprints Records (9/11/07)
"Compare"
"Deep Lake"
"Two Kinds"
"Plots and Plans"
"Sick Of The Shame"
"Like You Know"
"Lectric"

Delta Spirit at the Detroit Bar

I have seen the Detroit Bar packed many times this year. This night was no exception for a sold out show with the line up of The Parson Redheads, We Barbarians, and The Delta Spirit.

The Parson Red Heads




The Parson Redheads packed the stage themselves with seven people onstage. With seven people on stage, it was difficult to track all the members. The impressive thing was how well collectively they played as a unit. I have heard some buzz about them and made sure I was at the show early to catch a full set. Apparently other people heard the buzz because the Detroit Bar was already filling up. The Parson Redheads had a Beach Boys crossed with Wilco vibe. The Parson Redheads are led by Evan Way (Guitars/Vocals) who had a slick Fender Jazzmaster. The rest of the Redheads go by various pseudonyms like Clicker Parson, Combat Parson, Slider Parson and Flatman Parson. Their latest release is "King Giraffe" released on Yukon records. They will descend upon the Detroit Bar again on Oct 17th.

We Barbarians




We Barbarians looked very familiar from the start. Rising like a phoenix from the ashes of The Colour are We Barbarians. We Barbarians consists of 3/4 of the Colour with the following members being Davey Quon (Vocals/Guitars), Derek Van Heule (Bass) and Nathan Warkentin (Drums). It was their first performance as We Barbarians and they are onto something. They mine the darkness of reverb with introspective songwriting. Derek was killing it on his Gibson Ripper bass. Davey had his Gibson hollowbody howling all night. Nathan managed to escape his drum kit for a tune on guitar while Davey was strumming an acoustic guitar. I see a Detroit Bar residency amongst other things in their future.

Delta Spirit





I unfortunately missed Delta Spirit at the Southern Comfort Music Festival down in San Diego. I have been impressed by their last couple of shows as a clear progression and growth could be seen. I would love to describe all the pedals that Delta Spirit uses but they have an organic sound that is devoid of pedals. Matthew Vazquez (Guitars/Vocals) led the spirit along a storytelling set of forty five minutes. The Delta Spirit manage to tap into the sounds of yesterday but add a sense of urgency and social commentary that makes the music come off fresh. They have been recording a new album entitled "Ode to Sunshine" that is due out soon. The Delta Spirit will have gearing up for the start of their tour with Dr. Dog and will be having a cd release party on Oct 15th at the Troubadour with We Barbarians in tow.


Delta Spirit Setlist for the Detroit Bar (9/8/07)
"Bleeding Bells"
"Trashcan"
"Streetwalker"
"People C'mon"
"House Built"
(Interlude)
"Strange Vine"
"Sweet Soul"
"Childrens"
"Tom Gerald"
"People,Turn Around!"

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Kings of Leon at the Greek Theatre

It was a chilly night at the Greek Theatre that was warmed up by the triple bill of Kings Of Leon, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Manchester Orchestra. I kept hearing from some friends that the Kings Of Leon gave a stellar performance at Coachella and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club always puts on a solid show.



 
Manchester Orchestra were up first. They hail from Atlanta, Georgia and played some tracks off their debut album "I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child". Andy Hull (Guitars/Vocals) had a gold Gretsch guitar that had an abrasive scratchy sound which suited their songs well. Overall their sound was similar to Hot Rod Circuit crossed with Band of Horses. Unfortunately they had a short set, so they were warmed up by the time they left the stage. They will be back with the Annuals at the Troubadour on November 15th.




Black Rebel Motorcycle Club continues to tour behind its solid fourth album "Baby 81". The album features a smooth blend of all their previous styles yet manages to show continued song writing growth. The Greek theatre has a decibel limit level in order to not offend its neighbors. This didn't bode well for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club because they need to have their amps dimed. The quieter songs sounded good "Ain't No Easy Way" and "Promise" but I missed the usual ear drum blowing sounds of "Spread Your Love" and "American X". They still played a great set, but Black Rebel Motorcycle Club needs to be seen in a dark and smoky club with the floors shaking.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Setlist for the Greek Theatre (9/7/07)
"Took Out A Loan"
"Berlin"
"Ain't No Easy Way"
"Weapon Of Choice"
"What Ever Hapennend To My Rock'N Roll"
"Spread Your Love"
"666 Conducer"
"Promise"
"American X"

Kings Of Leon have gone a long way since I saw them open for the Strokes while supporting their first album "Youth & Young Manhood" back in 2003. They have slowly changed their looks and sound to overcome being lumped as the "Southern Strokes" that they were originally tagged as. The Kings Of Leon had a strong follow up sophomore album with "Aha Shake Heartbreak" and their equally impressive current release is "Because of The Times". I was curious to see how many people would leave after Black Rebel Motorcycle Club since they are the local favorites. The crowd responded very well to the Kings Of Leon and sang/slurred along to most of the songs. Caleb Followill (Guitars/Vocals) was the ringleader of the show front and center stage with his Gibson Hollowbody guitar and Matchless amps. Caleb was more rock and less talk only taking time to thank the crowd near the ending of their set. They sprinkled a few tracks of their first album but focused heavily on their recent releases that features a more straight up rock vibe. Jared Followill (Bass) was thumping away on his Gibson Thunderbird bass and even managed to hit a few notes on his MicroKorg. After an hour and a half set, closing the night with "Slow Night, So Long" was a fitting end.

Kings Of Leon setlist for The Greek Theatre (9/7/07)
"Black Thumbnail"
"Charmer"
"Taper Jean Girl"
"King of the Rodeo"
"My Party"
"Soft"
"True Love Way"
"Fans"
"Arizona"
"McFearless"
"Molly’s Chambers"
"The Bucket
"Milk"
"On Call"
"California Waiting"
"Spiral Staircase"
"Trani"
"Knocked Up"
"Four Kicks"
"Slow Night, So Long"

Aushua at the Detroit Bar

Run Run Run



It is rare to see smoke machines and extra floor lighting at the Detroit Bar. Run Run Run brought their "A" game with a big stage setup to accompany their even bigger sound. I was reminded of an Echo and The Bunnymen vibe crossed with some "Purple" era Stone Temple Pilots as they charged through their set. Their song "Words" seemed familar as it has been receiving some airplay on KROQ. Xander Smith (Guitars/Vocals) looked so familar on stage that I approached him after the show to ask if he had been in any other bands. Xander mentioned he was in The Other Star People and recorded with Roy Thomas Baker who recently did the Smashing Pumpkins new album. I remember seeing The Other Star People open for Queens of the Stone Age back at the Troubadour a long time ago. Run Run Run has a new EP "Good Company" that should be released soon.


Love Like Fire



Love Like Fire hail from San Francisco but could easily call Los Angeles a second home due to their high frequency of Los Angeles shows. Love Like Fire smeer delay riddled fuzzy guitars across Ann Yu's dreamy vocals. Ann also managed to incorporate some notes from her MicroKorg keyboard into some of the songs. It didn't take long for them to hit full stride as they played songs from their 2006 release "Bed of Gold" and 2007 release "An Ocean In the Air". I enjoyed their live show but was even more impressed with how much progression and growth "An Ocean In The Air" shows. "Wish You Dead" could easily dominate the airwaves on any alternative rock station. They will be playing the Indie 103.1 Check One Two night on October 8th.

Aushua




Reverb is making a huge comeback and Aushua is one of its biggest purveyors. Aushua was purely anthemic. They have studied U2's playbook very well and are able to call a few audibles. I can see why Bronson likes these guys. Nathan Gammill (Guitars/Vocals) was strumming his battered Gibson SG to coax out some haunting reverb tones while providing soaring vocals. Eric Neujahr (Guitars) was providing the alternate reverb/delay tones on his Fender Thinline Telecaster. Their residency at the Detroit Bar seems to have served them well as they honed their live chops. They ran out of cd's by the time I made my way to the merchandise table. Watch out for this band. They have an upcoming residency at the Silverlake Lounge in October.
 
 

Ben Kweller at the Echo

After seeing Sonic Youth perform "Daydream Nation" in its entirety back in July, I was thinking more bands should play their albums in their entirety. Flash forward a few months later, Ben Kweller announces he will play all of his albums in their entirety at the Echo. I immediately signed up for Ben Kweller's stellar debut solo album "Sha Sha".

Ben Kweller bounded onto the stage wearing his trademark floppy ear hat and with a red toothbrush in his mouth that immediately brought flashbacks of the cover of his first album "Sha Sha". Ben Kweller has in good spirits as he thanked the audience for coming out. "Sha Sha" originally came out in 2002 and still sounds as fresh as it did when it came out. There was a youthful enthusiasm and spirit captured in the recording of this album. These sentiments were soldified after watching Ben play on this particular night. Ben was frequently smiling and engaged the audience with some caveats of information that The Bens (Ben Folds, Ben Kweller, and Ben Lee) were recording new material for a new release and that he was going back into the studio in September. Ben sat down behind the piano and started hammering out the opening piano riff for "How It Should Be" with its well placed harmonies. "Wasted & Ready" was prefaced by Ben saying that this particular track was usually saved for the closing of a show but was placed as the second track as a way to hit the listener upside the head.

I couldn't help thinking that most of these songs could easily found their way into the Weezer songbook in terms of harmonies and songwriting. The lyric book was a nice souvenir for the show and aided the audience in singing along since Spacleand productions were recording the show. Ben took a break during the set to hand out some red toothbrushes to the crowd and have the audience select 3 random songs out of the "Sha Sha" box for the encore. Ben did manage to debut three new songs with one tune named "Old Hat" that had will have a piano and fiddle solo added to the final mix. Ben's new songs seemed to be an ode to his Texas roots with a heavy alt country vibe. Once the show ended, I made my way up to the front of the stage to check out Ben Kweller's pedalboard to realize that he plugged his Gibson SG directly into the amplifier. I know I will be watching this site for the release of the cd.

The Minor Canon, Satisfaction, and The Prix at the Viper Room

It was Labor day for everyone on Monday, except for me. After a day at work, I decided to enjoy a free show with free parking and most importantly excellent air conditioning at the Viper Room. It was another Check One..Two Indie 103.1 night curated by Mr. Shovel. This night was another solid line up featuring The Minor Canon, Satisfaction, and The Prix.

The Prix


The Prix were up first up with their organ infused power garage pop rock. Cashew Von Harding (Guitars/Vocals) was a ball of energy on stage abusing his Rickenbacker guitar backed by Blake Jordan's catchy organ lines from his Roland VK-3. The Prix have garnered some buzz lately with airplay on some of the local radio stations. Their sound has elements of Wolfmother, The Hold Steady, and The Strokes but with a more concise pop flavor. Check out their EP "St.Domino" on itunes.

Satisfaction





Satisfaction had many of the ladies in front batting their eyelashes as they unleashed their sugary pop songs on the audience. I have mentioned Satisfaction before, but never got a chance to give them a full review. Satisfaction rose from the ashes of the band Smile who put out one of my favorite records of the '90s entitled Maquee. It was a sonic buzzsaw of fuzz with catchy songs and heavy bass. KROQ used to play the Smile tune "Staring At the Sun" all the time back in the day.

Satisfaction rocks more with a vibe of the Kinks crossed with Archers of Loaf. Michael Rosas (Guitars/Vocals) uses the lyrics as a canvas and the paint is added by the guitars,bass, and drums with finishing touches added by Matthew Fletcher (Keyboards) and his stack of Nord keyboards. It also marks the second time in a few weeks that I caught James Fletcher (Drums) behind the drum kit. I picked up their self released cd "Cougars,Sharks & Flying Sparks" and couldn't be more pleased. I would add them to the list of bands that should be signed.


The Minor Canon






The Minor Canon finished out the night with their lush orchestral indie rock. I was glad to catch a full set by them and was dully impressed. With six people on stage, it was a challenge to track everyone and their contributions to the collective sound. The amazing thing is that even though there is a lot of music coming from the stage, Paul Larson's (Guitar/Vocals) voice still cuts through the mix. I think it has to do with how well the songs are arranged. "It Never Was" is a good showcase of this phenomena as a quiet piano line starts with additional trumpet by Mario Frias and trombone by Mike Richardson seeping into the right places during the song. Ryan Blake (Keyboards) had a Korg CX-3 stacked on top of his Yamaha keyboard mixing up the keyboard sounds all night. The Minor Canon are a band you need to see live to fully appreciate their sound. Check them out on Sept 21st at the Troubadour with the Besnard Lakes and pick up their cd "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished".

Great Northern at the Detroit Bar

The Detroit Bar kept up its hot streak on Thursday night. It was a Pull Your Pants up sponsored event featuring the ecclectic line up of The Love Me Nots, The Softlightes, and Great Northern. Inflight at Night has been running a nice publicity campaign for the Love Me Nots and I was intrigued to check out their live show. The Softlightes hail from San Diego and I had heard good things about them. Great Northern doesn't need any introduction unless you are a new reader within the past month.

The Love Me Nots




The Love Me Nots came out blazing like an old '67 Mustang. Micheal Johnny Walker (Guitars) was abusing his Mosrite guitar so much that it didn't take long for a string to break. Micheal proceeded to switch his Mosrite for a Fender Telecaster. Nicole Laurenne (Vocal/Keyboards) had a commanding stage presence armed with an old school microphone and a dry martini. She did manage to put the martini down and lay down some groovy organ lines. Jay Lien (Drums) managed to climb over his drum kit during a breakdown in one of the songs and hop back on his throne to resume his manic drumming. Christina Nunez (Bass) was the yang to Nicole's yin groovy organ lines. If they don't make the soundtrack for the next James Bond movie something is very wrong.


The Softlightes




The Softlightes had me from the second Jeff Hibschman (Keyboards) pulled out his Korg Oasys keyboard. I occasionally get gear envy from time to time but I turned a new shade of green when I saw the Oasys. Jeff put his Oasys to work when he did lead vocoder vocals on a song. The Soflightes had a projection screen running different images including Darth Vader and Mr. T that added to the quirky atmosphere of their lovingly damaged pop tunes. I frequently caught myself tapping my foot along with the beat during their set. Ron Fountenberry (Guitars/Vocals) was strumming his lefty Epiphone guitar while cracking jokes in between songs. The Softlightes are on Modular records which is home to The Presets and Wolfmother. They will be playing Spaceland on Sept 19th for Club NME. I hope to see them again soon.

Great Northern




Great Northern capped the night their cinematic heartfelt tunes. "Just A Dream" was the opening tune of their set with its delicate piano lines meshed with Solon Bixler's (Guitars/Vocals) driving guitars. Solon started to strum the opening chords of "Telling Lies" as Davey Latter (Drums) added some layers of xylophone to the dense mix. "A Sun A Sound" was next and is a great example of how well Rachel and Solon harmonize their vocals to build a large sound. Solon was frequently tweaking his Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man to add some echo laden feedback in the right places. Great Northern will open for Ladytron down in San Diego at 4th & B on Sept 26th as well as play the Lobsterfest on Sept 15th before embarking on another tour across the states.

The Pity Party at the Detroit Bar

It was "Busy Work" night again at the Detroit Bar featuring an appearance by The Pity Party and On Blast.






This marks the fourth time watching The Pity Party in action and I would have to say it was their best performance yet. The sound at the Detroit Bar was dialed in for The Pity Party's erractic on purpose guitar lines and spidery keyboard lines as Heisenflei (Keyboards, Drums,Vocals) flailed away at her drums and singlehandedly  dispensing thick bass lines on her Yamaha DX7. M (Guitars/Vocals) was all over his Fender Stratocaster fretboard reaching for sporadic notes while tap dancing on his bevy of pedals. "Dronebots and peons for eons and eons" drew first blood from the audience. "WMD" which I presume means Weapons of Mass Destruction lived up to its billing and destroyed the audience as the Pity Party played it twice as fast as the recorded version. I have number 571 of their cd "The EP". Which number do you have? I will reiterate that The Pity Party will be signed soon.




On Blast hailing from Long Beach closed out the night clouded in smoke and dark lights as they played combination of dark love songs that reminded me of She Wants Revenge but with a stronger rock vibe and a wider vocal range stylings courtesy of Josh Brown (Vocals). They had the requisite MicroKorg sythn on stage and were running an MBox with Pro Tools which you don't see too often on stage. The ladies up front were screaming as Josh worked the audience. I now see why they call it "Busy Work" night at the Detroit bar.