THIS THURSDAY: SUMMER COLLECTION DEBUT BY REPORT SIGNATURE AT FRED SEGAL FEET
Come join us for the debut of Report Signature’s Summer Collection at Fred Segal Feet (8100 Melrose Ave. LA, CA) this Thursday June 22nd! See invitation below for full details.
Friend Art the Shoe Guy (your source for all things Report) on Facebook for all of the latest happenings for Report Footwear and Report Signature!
EVERY MILE A MEMORY…
I had a friend come into town for a few days. On one of the nights that she was here she and another of our friends who resides in Orange County decided they were going to go out in Hollywood. I unfortunately had another commitment that I couldn’t get out of and couldn’t join them. Halfway through the night they called completely lost, trying to find a bar/club– in all fairness this place is a little hidden. They had the address, but couldn’t find it anywhere. I asked them what they were near and then they told me. I knew they’d gone too far because I happened to know the address of one of the places they’d just driven past, The Key Club. I then told them they needed to head back in the opposite direction and gave them some other landmarks along with the addresses so they’d know what their destination was near. They only had to call me back for re-directions once more and eventually they got to the place they were looking for and had a good time.
The next morning we all went to breakfast and I was asked how on earth I remembered those addresses. I actually have a pretty good memory, but before I could explain how I recalled those addresses my good friend shrieked to our other friend “Oh my god! Has Siria ever told you about how she remembers things by what she outfit she was wearing?!!! She remembers everything! Siria tell her!!!” This may sound weird, but this is true sort of, and if you are good friends with me then you know this already. If you aren’t, I’ll explain the outfit thing in a minute.
Everyone has their own memory tricks and perhaps you use mnemonic devices like acronyms or rhymes? Mine is a little different, but I’m sure just as common. So before you start thinking that I have Savant syndrome (think Rain Man) my ability to recall something is almost usually only as good as my ability to visualize it, and usually that serves me well as I have a pretty good memory.
For example the way I recalled the Key Club address wasn’t very complicated. We put shows on there on a monthly basis for a little over two years, so I constantly had to give that address out. However, the way I recall it still is by either visualizing an old flier advertising a show there or an email blast that had the address on it. Most of the clubs ( Three Clubs, Lava Lounge, The Echo, Safari Sams, Spaceland, Zen Sushi, etc.) that we put shows on at I can remember the addresses to in this manner. El Cid was a little harder for me for some reason, but one day I came across a photo of a friend that was taken during one of our shows and right above his head is a close-up of the address, so after that anytime I needed to recall that address I just visualized that photo.
I remember on long (or even short ones sometimes) car trips, I used to try to memorize license plates of the vehicles on the road. (more…)
DELTRON 3030 RECOMMENDED: Steel Train -Steel Train
This weekend is going to be a nice time for free good music in Los Angeles.
Saturday in Pasadena you can go see Warpaint, The Antlers, and Matt and Kim…all for the price of nothing.
More acts and info here: http://makemusicpasadena.org/
In Santa Monica you have two opportunities to catch free music:
Sat: Minus the Bear, Ra Ra Riot, Yela Wolf, and As Tall as Lions
Sun: Hey Champ, Steel Train, Neon Trees, Matt and Kim (again), and B.o.B.
More acts and info here: http://shop.pacsun.com/content.jsp?pageName=ballyhoo
Obviously I’ll be trekking to Pasadena on Saturday as I can’t ever turn my back on the Antlers…even though the Santa Monica Pier show is a short bike ride away. The Antlers are worth the extra effort. Out of the 
two Pier days Sundays lineup is more promising anyway – specifically the inclusion of Steel Train. I saw them play an early set @ Coachella and they rocked it pretty hard. Besides playing a ton of tracks from their upcoming album Steel Train also honored their New Jersey roots by playing a kick ass cover of The Boss’ “Dancing In the Dark” which led to people doing the inevitable Adam Sandler as Springsteen dance…and by “people” I mean ME. Good times.
Their new album comes out at the end of the month, but I have it now (thank you Internet) It won’t be making any Year End “Best Of” lists but it is a good time. Sadly I don’t have the companion cover album, “Terrible Thrills“. Yep, this band that you mostly likely never heard of already compiled a group of artists to cover these mostly unheard indie pop tracks. Pretty ballsy huh? They didn’t just rope in some unknowns to do quick karaoke style covers either. How does hearing Teagan and Sara belt out “Turnpike Ghost” sound? Pretty good right? Or how about Scarlet Johanson’s smoky croon on “Bullet”. Not as appealing? Agreed. How about Maeby from Arrested Development? Yep , she’s on there too.
You know, maybe it was a good thing I didn’t get the cover album. Let’s just focus on Steel Train’s version for now. Turnpike Ghost” and “You and I Undercover” are perfect introductory songs. I don’t normally suggest jumping around on albums during your first listen…but if you get the album go check those tracks out first..and then start the album again. Be warned: They’re shamelessly poppy…but I’m OK with it. I hope you are too. That said, I’m sure I’ll be hating myself weeks from now when “You and I Undercover” is the featured track during an intense heartfelt montage on ABC’s new suckfest, Rookie Blue (hey kid put that gun down! It’s her first day don’t please make her shoot you!)
Highlights: “Turnpike Ghost,” “You and I Undercover,” “Behavior,” “Bullet,” “Fall Asleep”
If you can’t hop on your beach cruiser and make it to the Santa Monica Promenade go catch them at the El Rey on July 6th
DELTRON 3030 RECOMMENDED: Tame Impala – Innerspeaker
Recently I read a review of the new Stone Temple Pilots album that favorably compared their last effort to The Beatles. A bold statement. I figured I should check out some more reviews. Interestingly enough they were all pretty favorable. Rick Florino of ARTISTdirect.com went so far as to extol the album as “the rock record of the decade,” calling it “a masterpiece that will officially solidify STP alongside the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones as one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time.
Slow your roll, Rick.
WTF. Of the decade!? I guess he means six months worth of albums…but even still. Obviously I had to download it. After six listens or so I’m not really getting the comparisons to The Stones, Led Zep, or The Beatles. You know who they do sound like? The fucking Stone Temple Pilots. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Who didn’t love a little Plush back in the day?
I mention this album and it’s unfounded comparisons to the Beatles because there is an album that was recently released, by non-heroin addicts, that sounds a lot more like the Beatles..and it definitely deserves glowing reviews and your attention. That album is Tame Impala’s “Innerspeaker”.
If I’m Julian or Sean Lennon I’d hire a hit-man to rub out their lead singer, Kevin Parker as DNA tests will undoubtedly prove he’s John Lennon’s long lost son..and heir to the throne. The similar sound in their voices is uncanny..and it is only aided by the echos and reverb that accompany it. The Lennon-esque vocals are married to trippy psychedelic guitars and drums that definitely time warp the listener back to an era when people dropped acid like it was their job…but you still get to have all the creature comforts of 2010…because who would want to live in the 60s. Seriously. I’m an Internet addict. It’s sad really. Besides without the Internet I wouldn’t be able to share this album with you…which just so happens to be:
The best psychedelic rock album of the decade! (six months!)
Highlights: “Expectations,” “It Is Not Meant To Be,” “Solitude Is Bliss,” “Lucidity”
Go turn on, tune in, drop out, and check them out live: on June 29 @ The Silverlake Lounge
DELTRON 3030 RECOMMENDED: THE FLAMING LIPS, STARDEATH, AND WHITE DWARFS – ‘DARK SIDE OF THE MOON’
I’m passing on Bonaroo, like I do every year, and I’m OK with it. Last year the decision was made super easy because the festival was flooded with Phish heads*. This year Bonaroo made it even easier on my decision making by having the Dave Matthews Band as a headliner. DMB and their fans hold a special place in my heart full of hate. However by last Saturday, after weeks of crapping on Bonaroo, I started getting the itch to go. Two very good reasons caused this:
1) The day before I’d gone to LCD at the Hollywood Palladium, and because the show was so awesome I was suffering from post-LCD blues. I could easily right myself by getting another fix. Going to Bonaroo seemed like a more logical choice than going to Pomona. Sure google maps will tell you differently…but there’s a reason you’ve never been to Pomona!
2) The Flaming Lips play immediately before LCD at Bonaroo. Not excited? I should gussy that statement up a bit: The Flaming Lips & Stardeath and White Dwarfs play immediately before LCD. Still not? One more try: The Flaming Lips & Stardeath and White Dwarfs will be playing “Dark Side of the Moon,” in its entirety– immediately before LCD.
For most of you that might not be a big deal..but I love the Flaming Lips..and I LOVE Floyd. Sometimes when I say these things It amazes me that I don’t smoke weed. Not a puff. Seeing The Lips doing Floyd would be pretty amazing. I’d make an exception to my strict Floyd rule: No half-assed Floyd shows. I’ve held out from going to see Roger Waters or David Gilmour tour because I can only accept Pink Floyd as a whole (yes, I know Richard Wright is dead, screw off!). Sure I’m currently tempted to go see Roger Waters’ “The Wall” tour but I just can’t get down with seeing “The Wall”, an album about a disaffected rocker, that was born out of Waters’ own depression and disdain for giant stadium shows…at the cavernous Staples Center…for $75 a pop (pre-Ticketmaster fees). You’ll be happy to know that he’s gotten over his depression for playing such giant impersonal crowds and he’s added a night in LA. Tix go on sale 06/14
.
Fuck him. “The Wall” is my favorite album of all time but I’m still going to hold out…and you should too. No Waters, No Gilmour, No “Australian Pink Floyd Show,” and sadly No Flaming Lips. If we stick together and boycott all things Floyd they’ll be forced to reunite for a show.
So as part of my musical Salt March, I’m not going to Bonaroo..but I’ve come up with a nice work around. Thanks to the power of the Internet a shit ton of artists will be live streaming via you-tube (starting today at 12:15pm EST)..including LCD! You can check it out here . Fucking technology, Making the world a better place! After closer inspection it would appear LCD is playing on tape delay @ 9:30p on Saturday night. Bastards!. Part of me says “What loser is going to be on Youtube on Saturday night?” and then part of me says “Hey uh….LCD kicks ass.” We shall see. Hmmm…stream Youtube on your iPhone while you chill and watch Beetlejuice at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Genius. Fuck Yeah Technology.
To get your Floyd/Lips fix…well that’s obvious right? No? Look up there..yeah..that pic should tip you off. I’ll sit at home and listen to this instead of going to Bonaroo. I’ll admit that at first I thought they butchered the album. That will always be the knee jerk reaction from a passionate fan of the source material. When an album is so ingrained in your mind you can’t help but hear the original while the cover plays. Not helping matters was (let’s me be honest: IS) the weird inclusion of Henry Rollins. Has anyone liked anything he’s done since “TV Party?” (The Chase does not count. Every teenage boy watched it on HBO for Kristy Swanson and Kristy Swanson only) Once you get past the weird meddling of Rollins and you give the Lips the chance with these classic Floyd tracks you’ll find they actually did an admirable job of making something new of it.
It’s just not Floyd..and it never will be. Truth be told It’s not really 100% Floyd either. Perhaps you’d be better served by listening to the Lips’ double LP “Embryonic.”
You should be warned: There’s less polish here than on the “Soft Bulletin” and “Yoshimi”….but after “At War With The Mystics” I’m guessing less polish and change are a welcome change. After three strong albums that turned the band of outsiders into commercially viable and licensable elder statesmen they’ve gone back to their roots and raised their fearless freak flags again. For anyone who got into the Lips circa “The Soft Bulletin” you’ll find the opening noises of “Convinced of the Hex” jarring but if you wait it out you’ll be rewarded by the beautiful “Evil”. After that…well…there’s a lot to absorb on this double album. They went all out. The sonic onslaught doesn’t dial it down again ’til track #6 “If”. Each change of pace makes you appreciate the previous sound that much more. Give it a chance…no matter how scared you are by the Freaks. They’re actually quite normal. I met Wayne Coyne a few years ago and he couldn’t have been a nicer, cooler dude…for a guy who smears fake blood on his face, shoots confetti guns into the air, and climbs into a giant hamster ball. Sadly I met him at the Westwood W…after far too many drinks.
This was the only photograph I could muster. Technology, you failed me!
Highlights: “Evil,” “Gemini Syringes,” “Powerless,” “If”
* Phish heads: For the record I’m all for rocking out to Phish. I have plenty of their cds…but their fans are pretty awful. I recall walking up and down a parking lot of a highway trying to scalp some phish tickets (at face!) on the way to a show and having to hear “I Need a Miracle” yelled at me as a negotiating tactic from a slew of Eddie Bauer Limited addition Jeep Cherokees. Fucking faux hippies are the worst.
DELTRON 3030 RECOMMENDED: THE DRUMS – ‘THE DRUMS’
It has been a great first two days of this, the second week of June. Yesterday we saw the release of the 4th Generation iPhone (a flash, but no FLASH!) and today marks the release of the Drums’ debut LP. What does a full LP of The Drums mean for us? LA, It officially means it is time for the June Gloom to pass…and then come back. “Let’s go Surfing,” a.k.a the best whistling on a song since Peter Bjorn and John’s “Young Folks,” should be used for the “Summer 2010″ videos you’ll all be making on the fly with your new fancy 4th generation iPhones with 720p video and iMovie on the go all summer long. It is the perfect summertime anthem since…well…”Summertime.” Just don’t expect the rest of the album to be as 60’s infused pure, punchy, and soundtrack worthy. The tone of the LP jumps from sweet innocent surf infused pop to an 80’s synth downer party soaked in reverb. However even in their darkest hour they emit rays of sonic sunshine that can’t help but make you want to reach for the light in the midst of the lyrical darkness. Go grab your beach gear…but just remember to bring some SPF 100 and Zoloft. Consider it Seasonal Affective Disorder for your iPod…or maybe make it the soundtrack to when you decide to play beach volleyball teamed with Morrissey & The Smiths versus The Cure. It will all end in tears.
Side out Muthafu$kers!
Highlights: “Let’s Go Surfing,” “My Best Friend,” “Forever and Ever Amen,” “Me And The Moon.” “It Will All End in Tears”
Added bonus: For some reason they chose to leave their best song off of last year’s EP and this year’s LP. You can check it out here: “I Felt Stupid“