NOTES FROM VIVACE: WHAT I LISTENED TO IN JUNE
Twilight Sleep - “Don’t Fire Your Guns”
Chasing Kings – “The Current State of Our Future”
Joe Greene and the Heavy Steppers - “Garden”
Whispertown 2000 – “Restless” (more…)
OUT TO SEE: SILVERLAKE JUBILEE PART 2 OF 2
If you missed my Part I, click here to read about Day 1 of Silverlake Jubilee.
Sunday, Day 2
Day 2 at the Silverlake Jubilee started later than Day 1 for me. I had brunch with friends at around 1 p.m. Come around 2:30 p.m., I went home and took a 30 minute nap. I was exhausted from my Saturday activities (once again, see Part I). After my nap, I drove on down to Silverlake Jubilee, parking along Hyperion (this is actually a semi-important point).
Santa Monica Stage
Silverlake Jubilee was on a tighter schedule for day 2 versus day 1. The first band of the afternoon for me was Lilofee. They started their set with an awesome wall of sound.
Comment: “We’re so excited to play here. We’re half way from Los Angeles and half way from San Francisco.”
Noticed: Lead singer had this female claw motion.
Sunset Stage
Next was a brief encounter with Seasons. I only caught half their set, if that. By missing half of Seasons’ set, I realized that Silverlake Jubilee had Sunday’s schedule tightened up compared to Saturday’s.
Comment: “We’ve got to make sure we’re in tune for our last song.”
Santa Monica Stage
I caught part of Division Day’s set where I heard the lead singer doing the sound check by saying, “Potato. Potato. Potato. Banana. Banana. Banana. Elephant. 
Elephant. Elephant. Potato.”
Noticed: Couldn’t help but notice the yellow shaker used by the drummer. I have no clue why this caught my attention, but it did.
Sunset Stage
Yes, at this point I was spinning with my constant back and forth between the two stages and had to settle down.
I stuck around the Sunset Stage to catch the Monolators’ full set. While standing near the stage, one of the band members kicked an opened Gatorade bottle. Gatorade flew towards the audience and the handful of us near the stage back paddled a couple feet. “I just wanted to add some special effects,” was the comment made afterwards.
Comment: “Does anyone know what a fop tie is?” (more…)
WHAT’S SO FUNNY? MEET ‘JON AND EDDIE’
Originally from the “Windy City”, Alex Fox and Rachel Lewis, (a.k.a “Jon and Eddie“) have performed comedy all over Chicago including: Second City, iO (formerly Improv Olympic), and the Annoyance Theater. In 2008, Jon and Eddie made their way west, taking the Los Angeles comedy scene by storm. Performing their original sketch show to a sold-out crowd on the Comedy Central Stage, which got them included in MSN.com’s “Top 100 Things to See in LA” and BUST Magazine’s “Funniest Ladies in Los Angeles.” Never ones to shy away from the ridiculous, this comedic duo embrace the world of the absurd through their daring physical and vocal comedic choices. Be it improvisational, sketch, or online content, Jon and Eddie interweave grounded scene work with a fearless sense of play, bringing a bountiful bevy of unique characters to life.
WSF: What brought you to Los Angeles?
Jon and Eddie: It’s the land of opportunity!
WSF: How did you become involved in this industry?
Jon and Eddie: We both grew up immersed in the arts and couldn’t think of anything else we would rather do!
WSF: What is your favorite place in Los Angeles and why?
Jon and Eddie: Trails, the cafe at the base of Griffith Park, because it is a hut in the middle of nature with delicious organic treats.
WSF: What really excites you?
Jon and Eddie: FOOD and 80s music.
WSF: What unique things do you hope to bring to the industry?
Jon and Eddie: Our playful and imaginative-comedic style, that is true to who we are.
WSF: What is something most people would be surprised to know about you?
Jon and Eddie: Before we plan a writing meeting, we have to plan what we are going to eat before, during, and after it.
WSF: What are your future plans and what projects do you have in the works? (more…)
DELTRON 3030 RECOMMENDED:Mates of State – Crushes (The Covers Mixtape)
While making my newest mixtape for my friends I thought long and hard about what track to include from the new cover album put out by married duo Mates of State. My mix tape rules don’t allow for me to include multiple tracks from the same artist so I had to pick just one. Would it be their cover of Girls’ “Laura” (now with 1980’s DJ scratching!)…or maybe their altogether different take on the Mars Volta’s “Son Et Lumiere?” I was torn. My confusion would become more exasperated as I went further down the track listing. I <3 Belle and Sebastian something hard so “Sleep the Clock Around” would seem like an obvious choice…but I’ve really been enjoying all the Fleetwood Mac covers that have been popping up around the Internet, so maybe I should have gone with “Second Hand News.” Fuck. Yep these are the serious decisions I wrestle with. I decided to not include any Mates of State on the mix and instead I purchased The RAC’s first piece of original music (from the movie Holy Rollers) to fill the gap.
The Mates of State’s Crush Covers “mix tape” deserved its own…errr….mixtape. You guys deserve it too. I’m a sucker for cover albums and the choices made here are inspired. Besides the aforementioned tracks there are homages to Daniel Johnston, Nick Cave, and Tom Waits. Brave and dangerous selections. Music snobs do not like when you fuck with Tom Waits and Nick Cave. I’ve read reviews of people crapping on the album and questioning the intentions of the MOS. These bloggers, if they really needed answers, could have simply paid a visit to the Mates of State Myspace blog which states:
“There are are so many artists we considered, some for the mere fact that they wrote a perfect song, some for nostalgia’s sake, some because more people need to hear them, some for the challenge, and some to shed a whole different light on a song: Our light… make it a duet, more optimistic or maybe less traditional”
There you have it. They’re fans first and foremost While this album will never be confused with Beck’s Record Club I for one respect their versions and don’t agree with all the bashing that this album has received…but like I said, I’m a sucker for covers. Sure some of their arrangements are a bit canned and they kind of give off a hipster Culps kind of vibe…but who cares! I’d send you William Hung singing Phoenix’s
“Lisztomania” if it existed. I’m glad we live in a world where it doesn’t.
Highlights: “Sleep the Clock Around,” “Second Hand News,” “True Love Will Find You in the End,” “Laura”
Go crush on The Mates of State live this summer when they come to The Echo for two shows on July 2nd and 3rd.
OUT TO SEE: SILVERLAKE JUBILEE PART 1 of 2
About a month before Silverlake Jubilee I started to notice that some of the bands I follow were playing at El Cid under the banner of Silverlake Serenade. After doing some minimal Internet research, I learned that this was all connected to something called Silverlake Jubilee.
I decided to see if my TRAffIK editor/friend could get me on the press list. It wasn’t so much to save the entrance fee, which was only five dollars. Instead, figured it might give me some special access. It did provide some special access, which you can see via the photos that I was able to take in front of the two stages. I also could have interviewed the bands I liked, but (perhaps) unfortunately for you that just isn’t my style; and honestly, I was so busy going this way and that way to catch various bands throughout the two day event that I wouldn’t have had time to interview any of the bands.
I got to Silverlake Jubilee via the metro Red Line on Saturday. This wasn’t so much by design to get myself aligned with the green theme of the event, but just due to where I was on Saturday. It just seemed more convenient; however, it made for one lovely long walk to the press lounge to pick up my press badge. I guess I should have added figuring out not just the metro stop, but a good bus route. I counted it towards my daily exercise regiment.
Side note: I don’t know how many of you take the Blue Line, but I found the following article a standard experience as I take this line whenever I’m heading off to LAX. (This will be referenced again in a future TRAffIK column.)
My first goal once I got to Silverlake Jubilee was to orient myself. I took a quick walk from the Sunset Stage to the Santa Monica stage. And then I decided it was time to catch my first band. I got to Silverlake Jubilee at around 2 p.m., expecting to catch Manhattan Murder Mystery. I’d previously had a close encounter with this band. I went to Echo Curio one night when they were listed on the bill. I showed up too late to catch their set. My 2 p.m. meet-up with them wasn’t meant to be as Silverlake Jubilee had a glitch on it’s first day (ever). Both stages were about an hour behind schedule so I decided to stroll around the food booths and venders. I stopped off to get a smoothie at the Maui Wowi booth. The booth seemed rather popular. I noticed one young lady asking her friend to photograph her with her smoothie, which was topped off with a tropical umbrella. A guy on a bike then coasted up and asked me to take an iPhone photo of him standing next to the smoothie menu. Maybe folks wanted to imagine they were in Hawaii? I have no clue why folks were taking photos
Starting things off at The Sunset Stage
I eventually ended up at the Sunset Stage where I caught a band called Big Whup. The keyboardist/singer uses a stuffed animal with a microphone that comes out through the mouth. I heard the MC call it a unicorn. I thought it looked more like a pink horse. (I did some stalking and her personal myspace page has horses galloping across it.) During their set, I also noticed a rather significant contingent of press out to cover the event. There was probably a group of 8-10 of us that ended up following each other from stage to stage over the weekend.
Noticed: The afternoon was a tad breezy and the keyboardist’s set list flew off the stage at one point. Someone later retrieved it for her, but I could have sworn that she had the set list inked in red down her left arm.
Conversation: Keyboardist, “Who’s on after us?” Scream from the audience, “The Allah Las.” Reply, “The Allalahs?” Response, “No, the Allah Las.” Got it, “Oh, as in Allah!”
El Cid
After Big Whup’s set, I went into El Cid. (more…)
GET OUT THIS SUMMER: DOWNTOWN CULVER CITY SUMMER BLOCK PARTIES
On the third Wednesday of each month from 5-9 p.m. from June 16 – October 20, celebrate summer in beautiful downtown Culver City. Downtown Culver City Summer Block Parties are among LA’s best events this summer for people watching, grazing, sampling drinks and soaking in live entertainment. Angelenos will be able to taste food from the area’s award-winning restaurants, sip wine and cocktails as the sun goes down, enjoy live music under the stars, shop and sample from one-of-a-kind boutiques and view art at gallery openings. The Summer Block Parties will feature special offers and free goodies from over 25 participating businesses throughout the downtown area, as well as outdoor entertainment and activities ranging from wine and food tastings to free pole dancing lessons. Valet and free two-hour parking are available. Dates: July 21, Aug. 18, Sept. 15 and Oct. 20 from 5-9 p.m.
Visit www.downtownculvercity.com for more info. (click on image to enlarge)