MUSEYON GUIDES » Southern California

Music Interview: Justin Gage + L.A.

Kellas — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:25:31 +0000

For those whom have never been to L.A., imaginations often conjure scenes of red carpets, Hollywood premieres and shopping on Rodeo Drive a la Pretty Woman (or Entourage, depending on your age). But for those outside “the business” who call L.A. home, it is a very different city; a city with an active music scene and growing art world.

Sharing with us this non-Hollywood version of L.A. is blogger, Sirius Radio host and owner of the music label Autumn Tone Records, Justin Gage, who has been at the forefront of the indie music scene in L.A. ever since he first began his now well known blog Aquarium Drunkard in 2005. Aquarium Drunkard strives to “bridge the gap between contemporary indie with vintage garage, psych, folk, country, New Orleans funk, r&b, soul and everything that falls in between” which it does, swimmingly. But what Aquarium Drunkard also accomplishes is shining a different light on a town that is often only lit but the flash bulbs of paparazzi.

What should we know before we go to the L.A.?

Unlike, say, New York, or other large cities with high density, L.A. is vast and very much spread out. This is both good and bad depending on what you are looking to get out of your trip. If you have a lot of time you can really dig in to the various niche neighborhoods and locales (the beach communities, “Hollywood”, the eastside, etc). If you are only coming in for a long weekend I would concentrate on one ’section’ instead of spending hours in traffic. Sitting in gridlock in a rental car for extended periods of time will put a bad taste in anyone’s mouth.

Oh, and if you can, try and see the city through a local’s eyes. Where they eat, drink, hang out.

Frankel, photo by Alex Manning

Who are your local musical heroes?

There is a guy out here named Michael Orendy who records under the name Frankel. I don’t want to paint him into a Jandek corner, but he is definitely pretty mysterious when it comes to his art. Frankel just played his first show since 2008 last night downtown and I had to miss it. Kicking myself this morning.

What local bands or musicians should we be listening out for?

Easy. Check out RAM ON L.A. and L’Aventure

What are your favorite music venues and where should we eat and drink around there?

A lot of the makeshift venues (art spaces, lofts, warehouses) have some amazing things happening, but if we’re talking venue proper (read: liquor license, electricity, etc) I would say the Troubadour. That being said I only make it over there a couple of times a year. I tend to spend most of my time at Spaceland and the Echo which are in my neighborhood.

Any local music festivals or events we should put on our calendar?

The FYF fest just announced their lineup this week for their September festival downtown. For those with even a passing interest in contemporary ‘indie’ there’s a lot to like. Aquarium Drunkard’s second WAVED OUT fest is happening at the Echo and Echoplex September 25th. Dungen are headlining. Further lineup details coming soon.

Is there a ” L.A. sound”? Or is there a community/scene vibe in the city?

No, not really. That is a question I have tried to address on the two L.A. music samplers I’ve released, RAM ON L.A. and L’Aventure. While the city is too big to have any kind of through line when it comes to an overall aesthetic there are very much pockets of micro-scenes if you wanna call it that. Downtown’s art/noise community, the Topanga Canyon folkies, etc etc.

What’s your perfect night out in L.A.?

It’s very different from when I moved out here 9 years ago, but I would say these days it would involve good friends, good music and outside on a good patio.

Any other things that are a must see and do in L.A.?

Have an open mind. Most of the people who begrudge L.A. have spent little to no time here, or were hanging out with the tourists on Hollywood Blvd or something. Go laze in the sun at Zuma beach, eat at taco trucks in Echo Park, hike to the Griffith Observatory, see a show at the Greek Theatre, catch a pacific sunset and drink a Tecate.

Greek Theater
2700 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 – (323) 665-3125

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The Griffith Observatory
2800 East Observatory Avenue, Los Angeles, CA‎ – (213) 473-0800‎

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Spotlight On…Amoeba Music, Berkeley CA

Kellas — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:00:39 +0000

Amoeba Music boasts the title of “largest independent record shop in the world” and it’s not hard to believe when you gaze out across their crammed racks of cds and vinyl.

Started in 1990 in Berkeley, California by former employees of Rasputin Records, the passion the owners and their staff have for music at Amoeba is evident in their rows of hundreds of thousands of records. Berkeley has always been known as a haven of radicalism and at Amoeba Music embodies a lot of that spirit by remaining independent in the face of big business and the rapidly changing music world.

Amoeba Music
2455 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
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The Scene In Six Sounds: Ones To Watch

Heather C — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:14:59 +0000

The Freelance Whales

So you truly love music? If you’re like our own James Hendicott, you’ll want to be their first, experiencing that truly special performance in a venue so intimate you can have a pint at the bar and still spot the graffiti on the lead singer’s guitar. Discovering that true gem and then watching them rise through the ranks is a real music-lover’s pastime. Of course, predicting who’s going to make it and who will drift through your memory banks in a few years time having disappeared from the musical map entirely is harder than betting on sports teams, and nine times out of ten you will be wrong. Which doesn’t stop us trying, of course. Here are six acts we think might — just might — light up the first years of the new decade.

Local Natives: With debut album ‘Gorilla Manor’ causing indie lovers to fall over themselves in praise, SoCal’s Local Natives won over the notorious showcase festival SXSW in 2009, before picking up more five-star reviews than pretty much anyone else. That they’re still a relative unknown is something a mystery, and one that’s sure to end before too long, with the band’s tight harmonies being tipped for the top by pretty much anyone in the know. Buy the album now, and catch them live before the arena tours come along.

Freelance Whales: This bizarrely named Williamsburg group is staunchly atypical, drafting in harmoniums, banjos and glockenspiels alongside more typical indie instrumentation like guitars, keyboards and laptops. Another act so widely tipped it’s frankly a miracle they haven’t made it to the big time already, Freelance Whales are fragile and sentimental, tugging at the heart strings in a manor that will have you relating to the point where you’re reaching for the tissues. Think Postal Service with a still more hefty emotional bent.

Sleep Thieves: Dublin electronic-influenced band with plenty in the way of delicate harmonies are barely past their first EP, but are nonetheless making waves in Ireland’s capital. They’re yet to grab a record deal, but the three-piece made up of the remnants of several other acts are proving a crowd pleaser and even intriguing with their mellow Dublin city walkabout video. Currently playing to a few hundred a show on a good day, Sleep Thieves could find themselves with a more international outlook by the end of 2010.

And So I Watch You From Afar: Belfast’s finest output since Snow Patrol are putting instrumental rock music back on the map, with the kind of slamming, heart-thumping performances that show they can do things with guitars which have lesser players scratching their heads in disbelief. As one of the most sought after local tickets in 2009, And So I Watch You From Afar branched out into the UK and Europe towards the end of the last decade. It’s hard not to see them going a whole lot further over the next year.

Marina and the Diamonds: Named for her fans (The Diamonds), Welsh solo singer-songwriter Marina Diamandis has been slowly winning over critics throughout 2010 with her two debut EPs, and is expected to release her first album in February. With recording contracts in both the UK and US already taken care of, the labels clearly have Marina marked, and we can expect a 2010 breakthrough that sees her bothering the charts in a big way.

Ellie Goulding: Having won the critics choice Brit Award in 2009 (following in the footsteps of the magnificent Florence and the Machine and Adele) you could argue it would be madness not to tip Ellie Goulding for big things this year. Her melancholy take on life has all the infectious charm to back up her ‘soon to be big’ tag and was created in part by the same man who made Katy Perry’s ‘I Kissed A Girl’ so big. Ellie’s certainly a ‘glass-half-empty’ singer, but one with an infectious eye for a tune.

James Hendicott is a travel and music writer living in Ireland, and your guide to Celtic punk in the Music+Travel Worldwide from Museyon Guides. More of his work can be found at hendicottwriting.com. And be sure to tune in each and every Wednesday, to discover a new scene with James’ signature six-song playlists.

Photo via myspace/freelancewhales

Punk Rock’s Desert Digs

Heather C — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:32:58 +0000

Looking for a rock ‘n’ roll twist on a rustic vacation? Then head to the Rosa Muerta, the desert hideaway designed and built by LA punk rocker-turned-architect Robert Stone. Exposed to the elements, the 1,300-square-foot all-black bungalow is a “glamping” site — that’s glamourous camping — and for $220 a night you get a shower, spa, kitchen, and all the other amenities of a luxury home, minus the walls. Instead, the open and glossy black surfaces and mirrored ceilings are meant to compliment, and contrast, the surrounding Joshua Tree desert.

For more on Joshua Tree check out Museyon’s guide to Music+Travel Worldwide where Jessica Hundley is your guide to Calicountry from Joshua Tree to LA and beyond.

source/photos via Twisted Sifter

Cali Culture

Heather C — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:58:44 +0000

The Los Angeles Philharmonic is celebrating Cali culture with ‘West Coast, Left Coast’ a California-centric festival. The festival kicks off with Eureka! a concert that mashes up a diverse slate of four artists from the Golden State–San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet, minimalist musician Terry Riley, electronic-experimental artists Matmos and avant rocker (and guitarist of the band Incubus) Mike Einziger. They’ll share the stage for solo performances and collaborations in what promises to be a night of unforgettable sound with a serious West Coast attitude. Gnarly, dude.
&nsbp;

Build Your Own Collection: Cumbia Edition

Heather C — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:36:50 +0000

Amoeba Music, San Francisco

In Music+Travel Worldwide, Eve Hyman introduces you to some of the hottest new cumbia artists coming out of Buenos Aires. But what can you do if you can’t make it to the record stores in BA’s cumbia hotspots — the stalls of the Constitucion train station or at Miles Discos (Honduras 4912, Buenos Aires; +51 11 4832-0466) and Zivals (Serrano 1445, Buenos Aires; +54 11 4833-7948) in Palermo Soho? Well, if you’re in the States, you’re in luck — there are still some top-notch record stores for fans of every genre. Here are some of our favorites on the East and West Coasts. Don’t see your favorite on the list, then let us know: where do you go for your sound fix?

Amoeba Music: The grandaddy of them all, this West Coast shop has outlets in L.A. (6400 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood; 323-245-6400 ), San Francisco (1855 Haight St., San Francisco; 415-831-1200) and Berkeley, Ca (2455 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley; 510-549-1125). The world’s largest independent record store has been going strong since 1990. The Hollywood location opened in 2001 with more than 250,000 titles. If you can’t find it there, good luck.

Other Music: Other Music (15 E. 4th St., New York; 212-477-8150) is a New York institution known for its impressive selection and too-cool-for-school clerks with their encyclopedic knowledge. Just steps from NYU, the shop has been schooling hipsters-in-training since 1996. In addition to a formidable selection the shop also sells select magazines, books (including our own Music+Travel Worldwide!) and tickets to must-see shows at venues around the city. Stop by to discover a new artist and see them live that night!

Turntable Lab: This tiny East Village shop features the coolest electronic and dance music on wax, including some of the best bets from cumbia label Bersa Records and our friends at ZZK, along with turntables, drum machines and all the DJ essentials.

HOT HOODS
Sometimes a single shop doesn’t have all you need. To fully immerse yourself in the sounds of Latin America, head to these neighborhoods:

Sunset Junction: Located between music hotspots Echo Park and Silverlake in LA, the microneighborhood of Sunset Junction features a number of mom-and-pop shops that offer vintage records, including cumbia direct from Colombia and Mexico.

The Mission: San Francisco’s Mission District is home to a large Latino and Chicano populations, as well as the city’s young and artsy scene. To tap into the area’s Latin music scene check out Julio’s (2884 Mission St., San Francisco; 415-648-1054) on the neighborhood’s main drag, known for its extensive selection of Spanish-language releases.

Sunset Park, Brooklyn: One of New York’s most multi-cultural neighborhoods (it’s home to both “Little Latin America” and Brooklyn’s Chinatown), Sunset Park, Brooklyn, is a hub of Latin American music that features many places to find cumbia — just cruise down Fourth of Fifth avenues from the mid 30s to 60th Street. The neighborhood is easy to reach on the B, D, M and R subway lines.

photo by Sean O’Sullivan/Flickr

OUT NOW! Music + Travel Worldwide: 12 Cities / 12 Scenes

Heather C — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:31:26 +0000

In Music+Travel Worldwide our expert guides take a musical tour around the globe. Check out our sound sampler before you buy the book…

Jazz Land: Chicago by Peter Margasak
Jazz
Hometown Hero: Ken Vandermark and the Ken Vandermark 5

Click to hear 11 more…

Bring the Noise, Bring the Punk: Dublin by James Hendicott
Celtic Punk
Hometown Hero: Blood or Whiskey, “They Say No”

New Rap City: Paris by Miles Marshall Lewis
Muslim Hip-Hop
Hometown Hero: Booba, “Mon Son”

Techno Color: Berlin by Siobhan O’Leary
Techno
Hometown Hero: Ellen Allien Apparat, “Way Out”

Jailhouse Rock: Moscow +St. Petersburg by Alina Simone
Chanson
Hometown Hero: Yanka Dyagileva, “Na Cherniy Den’”

Classical Studies: Istanbul by Alexandra Ivanoff
Classical
Hometown Hero: Fazil Say, “Black Earth”

Swing Shifts: Addis Ababa by Mikael Awake
Ethiopop
Hometown Hero: Mulatu Astatke, “Yekermo Sew” (with the Heliocentrics)

Passage to Indipop: Mumbai by Shamik Bag
Indipop

Hometown Hero: A.R. Rahman, “O Saya” (with MIA)

Experimental Methods: Beijing by Nick Frisch
Experimental
Hometown Hero: Carsick Cars, “Mogu, Mogu”

CARSICK CARS – 蘑菇蘑菇 MOGU MOGU (Music Video) from Maybe Mars / 兵马司 on Vimeo.

Art Rock Confidential: Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane by Mel Campbell
Art Rock
Hometown Hero: Deloris, “Playing the Spaces”

The Digital Domain: Buenos Aires by Eve Hyman
Cumbia
Hometown Hero: Chancha Via Circuito

Chancha Via Circuito – ZZK Records from ZZK Records on Vimeo.

Folk Lure: Los Angeles by Jessica Hundley
Calicountry
Hometown Hero: Devendra Banhart, “Brindo”

Devendra Banhart – Brindo from Rômulo Martinz on Vimeo.

Navigating Calicountry

Heather C — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:59:57 +0000

Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Pioneertown, California

In Music+Travel Worldwide, Jessica Hundley is your guide to all things Calicountry. It’s the sound of the American West, of adventure and cowboys and the wide open spaces, a sound filled with the heartache of the great wide open. California’s brand of country music got its start with Roy Rogers, and by the 1960s L.A. acts like Gram Parsons had taken the sound to a new, grittier territory, growing their hair long and singing about hard drugs and easy woman. The sound reached its commercial apex in the 1970s with The Eagles, whose ‘Hotel California’ is among the best-selling albums of all time.

Since the 1990s the sound has been having a renaissance, and whatever flavor you take your Calicountry — from the indie-rock inflected tones of Wilco, to the New Weird America sound of Devendra Banhart, to straight-up country — you can find it today in L.A. and its surrounding desert cities. Here’s a look at three of our favorites.

Molly Malones: 575 South Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles; 323-935-1577
This old-school pub on Fairfax Ave. has been the place to find live local music for over 40 years. Featuring six nights of live music a week, the venue is the place to find unexpected special guests like Lucinda Williams or Jonny Lang — many of whom are immortalized in the portraits on the walls. Don’t be surprised if you see Celtic punk stars Flogging Molly — in the late ’90s and early ’00s the band boasted a weekly Monday-night residency at Molly Malones.

Palms Bar: 83131 Amboy Road, Wonder Valley, California; 760-361-2810
This old-school Wild West dive bar (in the best sense of the term) in the middle of the desert, Palms Bar is home to live music and $3 burgers. The desert watering hole is located more than 10 miles from the nearest town — Twentynine Palms.

Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace: 53688 Pioneertown Pd., Pioneertown, California; 760-365-5956
The self-proclaimed home of the “Best Honky-Tonk West of the Mississippi”, Pappy and Harriet’s is the high desert bar and restaurant located on a former Wild West movie set. Stop by on Sunday nights to hear the Pappy’s Allstars house band.

image by Mr. Matt/Flickr

Honoring Elliott Smith

Heather C — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:52:43 +0000

Elliott Smith Wall, Los Angeles

Six years ago today, singer-songwriter Elliott Smith died from a pair of stab wounds. And it’s still unclear whether his death was a suicide or murder. Since then, a cloud of mystery has grown around the artist, and still, years later, fans gather at the so-called Elliott Smith Wall in LA’s Silver Lake neighborhood, wedged between an electronics shop and a McDonald’s to honor his memory. It’s the place where photographer and longtime Smith confidant Autumn de Wilde shot the iconic cover of Smith’s 2000 album ‘Figure 8′. Since Smith’s mysterious death, it’s become a pilgrimage spot for fans who come to leave gifts and sign their names to the wall. In 2008, the wall was restored after vandals had covered it with graffiti.

To visit the Elliott Smith wall, head to 4334 Sunset Blvd. at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Fountain Avenue.

photo: Chris Connolly/Flickr

Shake the Shack Seattle

Heather C — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:48:33 +0000

In Music+Travel Worldwide, Jessica Hundley takes you on a tour of Calicountry, Southern California’s native blend of country crooning, folk and rock ‘n’ roll. For a slightly different take on the sound, check out its Southern cousin, rockabilly, a style that fuses “hillbilly” music with old-school rock ‘n’ roll.

Like what you hear? Well, if you’re in the Seattle area this weekend, check out the 22nd annual Shake the Shack Rockabilly Ball. The party kicks off tonight at 8 p.m. and runs through Saturday, September 26 at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard. The event is the longest-running rockabilly festival U.S. (and since this sound is pure Americana, we’re willing to bet good money that it’s the biggest in the world, too), and it features 10 bands, a classic car shows and plenty of dancing, for just $15/night. Plus, it’s hosted by our favorite radio station in the world, 90.3 KEXP. So girls, get out your bobby socks and boys put on those creepers and work in some pomade, and boogie on down to the Tractor Tavern.

If you can’t make the festival, tune into Shake the Shake with Dr. Leon Berman on KEXP, three full hours of rockabilly, country and rhythm and blues every Friday night from 6 to 9 p.m. Check out their site for details.

Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. NW, 206-789-3599

Shanty Tavern, 9002 Lake City Way NE, 206-526-9854

image:Hoggarazzi Photography/Flickr