MY SOUNDTRACK: NOTES FROM VIVACE’S MAY PLAYLIST (PART II OF II)
Kiev: “Loot Recovered”
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Kinch: “The Economic Chastisement”
Rose’s Pawn Shop: “The Arsonist”
Ruby Friedman: “Burning Skies”
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Francisco the Man: “Do You Remember”
The Fling: “Friend of Mine”
The Belle Brigade: “Losers”
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Carnage Asada: “Dollars and Sense”
Million Kids: “Raw”
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Hidden: “Doesn’t Take Much”
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Gardens and Villa: “Black Hills”
Barb Wire Dolls: “Street Generation”
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Suddyn: “Gravity”
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Prima Donna: “I Don’t Want You to Love Me”
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My comments: Kiev is a random band I caught at Silverlake Lounge. I knew I had to catch them again, so a couple weeks later I headed over to Bardot. This is a band that allows their music to develop throughout the course of their set – that doesn’t make sense at all, you say, well go check them out and you’ll understand. The Belle Brigade got some recent press at the LA Times.
They played some packed shows at The Satellite to deserve that article. Carnage Asada, Million Kids and Hidden: caught them at Mr. T’s Bowl via a Facebook comment that a friend posted. A good suggestion. Barb Wire Dolls comes to us from Greece. Let’s hope they stick around Los Angeles for awhile longer.
MY SOUNDTRACK: NOTES FROM VIVACE’S MAY PLAYLIST (PART I OF II)
Ingenue: “Lookout”
Coyol: “The Pharmacist”
Bullet and Snowfox: “Neurotic Nancy”
Sweaters: “Investigation”
Barrie Rose: “Wishful Thinking”
Tommy Santee Klaws: “Chasing Bodies”
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Feel Free: Tumbleweeds
Run-On Sunshine: “Singles Staying Single”
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Devon Williams: “Honey”
Black Elephant: “Four Years”
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Guards: “Resolution of One”
Act As If: “Please Be Worth This”
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The New Assembly: “Slow Down”
The Americans: “Prison Yard Walk”
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I hear one of the members of Coyol is from Bakersfield. Our Traffik editor is from Bakersfield. Bullet and Snowfox has gotten some press here on Traffik. I caught them at Club Moscow when they were playing along with The Mulhollands. I caught Group Love at Bootleg. They had the place packed. I was at a birthday party when The Americans took the stage. Awesome stuff. I saw a number of the bands on this list at The Smell. As I write this up, I have the urge to head on down there.
OFF TO THE RACES: THE DOWNTOWN RED BULL SOAPBOX DERBY
A week ago today, Downtown L.A. was taken over by the return of Red Bull SoapBox Car Derby (the “unique non-motorized racing event challenges both experienced racers and amateurs alike to design and build outrageous, human-powered soapbox dream machines and compete against the clock in a downhill race.“). The event attracted over 100,000 spectators. The teams were judged on three criteria: speed, creativity and showmanship. They all competed for a chance to win the ultimate NASCAR experience among other prizes, for the winner results click here. Although, we’re pretty sure it was the bragging rights these teams were really seeking.
Among the approximately 40 teams selected to compete in this competition were our friends of the Falls Lounge (located at 626 Spring St.), and via the photos below you can view the leading up to and during the race process.
BEFORE
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AFTER
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AT THE RACES
The Falls owner Michelle Marini (far right) and staff
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Care Bears, Green Army Men, Kilt-donning gentleman were among what you would’ve witnessed at this event
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The Falls Lounge is also up for The L.A. Times “Reader’s Choice” Best of Southern California 2011 Award for Best Happy Hour in Los Angeles. You can vote for them and all of your favorites here.
OUT TO SEE: SILVERLAKE JUBILEE DAY 2
Getting there. I stuck with the public transportation theme though I was seriously tempted to take the car.
(scroll down for photos from Day 2)
Total sidebar, but it deals with music. My upstairs neighbors decided to wait until 9 a.m. to start their musical exercises. I was pissed, thinking it was once again 6 a.m. I looked at the clock and realized it was 9 a.m. That was a more reasonable time. My pissed-off attitude changed. It also dawned on me that I was exhausted. A few years back, I used to make a bet with a friend regarding who could survive a weekend music festival in the best shape. I can’t make those bets anymore. I need my sleep.
Day 2 Re-Cap: first impressions, conversations, side stories, observations.
Future Ghost. I really do love this band and this band really does love red. I love the bass rhythm. Conversation on stage (as their set came to a close), “You don’t have to watch me jumping around like a monkey.” Oh, come on, give us another song.
Kazai Rex. The award for the best octave range of the Silver Lake Jubilee lead singers. Conversation from some kids when the band made an error talking about a NASA robot, “It’s not a robot, it is a rover!”
Tommy Santee Klaws. When I saw them at The Smell, there were only three in the group (I’d seen a stripped down version of the band apparently). It was a much larger group that greeted us at the Jubilee. Added instruments included a violin, standup bass and mandolin. I wasn’t complaining. I saw them only once before, but during their set I realized how many of their songs I recognized from five months ago. That says something. I see plenty of bands only once. I doubt that if I saw many of those bands five months later that I’d recognize very many of their songs.
Cobra Lilies. Mismash of other bands: Monolators, Moses Campbell. About half way through the set, a child joined the mix. He either danced on stage or sat at the foot of a band member.
One Trick Pony. Low Key. Conversation from the stage. “I think we just offended the sensibilities of a group of hipsters. They just made a bee line that way.”
boxViolet. I’m just tossing this random thought that I had out to you: I heard their sound as I was walking up to the stage and I thought, “There will be a group of photographers in front of the stage.” I was right. I don’t know how I knew that. Conversations from the stage, “I need to put these [shoes] back on for the photographers.” The lead singer spent so much time dancing around on stage that she was out of breath towards the end and was asked if she was alright, “I can continue.”
Heller Keller. Mob madness under the bridge. This has to rank as the most energizing set of the weekend. It helped that it felt guerrilla-like. No stage. Everyone crowded around the band. The lead female singer kept throwing herself through the crowd. I do believe this band plays at The Smell every so often.
SISU. Reminds me of Twilight Sleep. Vocals lingered in the air.
Races. Harmonies galore.
Dante vs. Zombies. Conversations from the stage. “Jesus Christ.” “Jesus Christ was yesterday.” (Reminder, the Rapture was supposed to happen that Saturday.) The band was dressed in bath robes or like they said, “We just got back from the spa.” The lead singer hung from truss. He danced on the speakers. He entertained us to the full.
Twilight Sleep. I only caught a couple of their songs. I do love this band and have seen them a number of times. Haunting as ever.
Love Grenade. Southern belle sound merged with So-Cal style. Conversations from the stage. “I smell weed. That’s bad.” “We’re Love Grenade. Duh.” “This song is for all the pot heads out there. Don’t judge me, Republicans.” They had the vast majority of the crowd bouncing around with the music. That’s a good sign. And another good sign: The sound guy must have loved them as well as he was having a conversation with the lead singer after the set via the monitors. And a final good sign, a crowd of people circled the band, waiting to buy a CD.
I was approached by a young lady after Love Grenade. She asked if I posted my photos anywhere. I told her, “Intraffik.” She looked at me strangely, “What?” I repeated, “Intraffik.” Her facial expression seemed to imply she thought I was being a jerk. Hmm. I pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “Oh, that makes sense. I thought you were just being a jerk and telling me you posted your photos on the Internet.”
We Are the World. Okay, my friend basically summed up this band: Fu*!ing Mental. Oh yeah. We had to wait awhile for them to get their equipment set up, but when they started, the world stopped. Maybe that is too much of an exaggeration, but their set was just amazing. I am pretty sure that Silverlake Jubilee 2011 = We Are the World. I guess there is a hard 9 p.m. cut-off on Sunday, because the music stopped at exactly 9 p.m. The crowd demanded an encore. The staff wanted them to give one. The band wanted to oblige. But it just didn’t happen. Noticed: two kids (children of someone in the band) were allowed into the photo pit so that they could get a good view. That wasn’t a very good idea as the pit was crowded with photographers. They eventually got positioned at a safer place, the stairwell to the stage. Their faces showed a sense of pride in their parent.
A side comment: Is Trader Joe’s in Silver Lake an incubator for the local music scene?
A side comment 2: So this is totally outside of Silver Lake Jubilee, but I figured I’d pass this little story along as it ended my Day 1. I was getting a burrito on Saturday night at the late night food stand near my apartment. An overheard conversation went as such, “When I got out of jail, I had to explain it to my boss.”
Well, I guess his crime wasn’t that serious as he used the word “boss” versus “ex-boss.”
Regrets: I missed The Black Apples and Crystal Antlers. I didn’t get to catch Twilight Sleep’s full set. I didn’t show up early enough to catch David Shook & Friends. So little time.
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FUTURE GHOST
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KAZAI REX
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TOMMY SANTEE KLAWS
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COBRA LILIES
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ONE TRICK PONY
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BOXVIOLET
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HELEN KELLER
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SISU
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DANTE VS. ZOMBIE
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TWILIGHT SLEEP
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RACES
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LOVE GRENADES
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WE ARE THE WORLD
(possibly the most talked about set during all of Silverlake Jubilee)
TOUGH TULIP AUDIO REVIVAL W/ DJ STARSKEE SUAVE TODAY AT 2 PM
listen via www.intraffikradio.com at 2 pm
Get your week started off right this Monday with some disco, funk, r&b, soul, and all around good times as DJ Starskee Suave kicks off the second episode of his show the “Tough Tulip Audio Revival.”
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Here is a little info about the show and about Starskee:
“Picture a disco dance club teeming with lip-glossed, eye-shadowed, spaghetti-strapped foxes and bell-bottomed, open-collared, gold-adorned hunks.Visualize a swingin’ bachelor pad with faux fur, mood lighting, and deep, funkyrhythms. Can you get to that? That’s where Starskee’s head is when he (along with various members of the Leisure Patrol) presents the mostly analog world of the Tough Tulip Audio Revival: 1970s Funk, Soul, R’n’B, Disco…and beyond.”
About Starskee:
Starskee Suavé started in FM radio in 1989, playing all styles of music. In
1992, he joined a mobile roller disco club and subsequently launched a seventies
radio show. He has more than 18.5 years of experience spinning vinyl Funk,
Disco, Soul, and R ‘n’ B for FM radio, clubs, public events, and private
parties. He also cooks, sews, cleans, and recycles. In his spare time, he is a
legend. He is addicted to faux fur (mostly leopard).
TRAFFIK SCHOOL W/PROFESSOR PANCAKE: A LESSON IN THRASH METAL TODAY AT 11 A.M. (PST)
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After walking us through the first lessons referencing the book “Our Band Could Be Your Life,” –and introducing the TRAffIK School Students (also known as “Listeners”) to bands such as Big Black, Minor Threat, Fugazi, Sonic Youth, The Minutemen, Black Flag, among many others– Professor Pancake is back with a whole new lesson. This series will focus on the genre known as Thrash Metal, via the re-broadcast of his latest show episode”The Rise of Thrash Metal (original broadcast date: Friday the 13th 5/13/11)” on http://intraffikradio.com at 11 am (PST)
Thrash Metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work. The “Big Four” bands of thrash metal are Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax, who popularized the genre in the 1980s.
In tribute to the recent U.S. Big 4 Festival held recently in Indio, CA, this lesson will feature dazzling technical musical skills and brutally powerful music. We will hear from the Big 4 (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax) as well as the early influences of thrash metal (Judas Priest, Motorhead), other thrash bands of the 80s (Testament, Exodus), the ongoing legacy of thrash metal in the melodic death metal scene (Children of Bodom, At the Gates), and a very special live recording of a song featuring members of the Big 4 sharing the same stage!
Playlist:
1. Metallica – “Battery”
2. Judas Priest – “Rapid Fire”
3. Motorhead – “Ace of Spades”
4. Diamond Head – “The Prince”
5. Metallica – “The Four Horsemen”
6. Metallica – “Last Caress” / “Green Hell”
7. Exodus – “Metal Command”
8. Testament – “The New Order”
9. Megadeth – “Holy Wars…And the Punishment Due”
10. Megadeth – “Hangar 18″
11. Slayer – “Raining Blood”
12. Slayer – “South of Heaven”
13. Anthrax – “Bring the Noise” (featuring Public Enemy)
14. At the Gates – “Cold”
15. Children of Bodom – “Lake Bodom”
16. Metallica / Slayer / Megadeth / Anthrax – “Am I Evil?” (live at the Big 4 Festival, Indio, CA, 4/23/11)