Little Joy - No One's Better Sake
After an extended holiday break, we're getting back into the swing of things full time. This week actually has some great shows, with most nights having three or four solid options. So after we stocked up on turkey and stuffing we should have the stamina to make it through a long week of shows.
Monday
Eagle and Talon, DJ Kevin Bronson @ Spaceland. Free
First of all, it's nice to see Kevin Bronson, former LA Times music writer, still out there in the scene making things happen. I'm sure he'll have a good local selection to play, and if you're not following his Buzzbands blog, it's definitely worth your time. Ok, and while we're at it we should go check out Eagle and Talon. These two girls were nice enough to send me a handwritten postcard asking me to come see them. How can I say no to that? They play a version of modern rock that's a touch more mainstream than your average Spaceland band, but they're still pretty weird.
Monday
Eagle and Talon, DJ Kevin Bronson @ Spaceland. Free
First of all, it's nice to see Kevin Bronson, former LA Times music writer, still out there in the scene making things happen. I'm sure he'll have a good local selection to play, and if you're not following his Buzzbands blog, it's definitely worth your time. Ok, and while we're at it we should go check out Eagle and Talon. These two girls were nice enough to send me a handwritten postcard asking me to come see them. How can I say no to that? They play a version of modern rock that's a touch more mainstream than your average Spaceland band, but they're still pretty weird.
Tuesday
The Gray Kid @ The Echoplex.
The No Age show at Troubadour is sold out, the Smashing Pumpkins set at Gibson Ampitheatre is going to be a joke, so why not take in some local soul with The Gray Kid. It's been about a year since I've seen him out but he always puts on a good show. The dude just oozes charisma and he's usually pretty hilarious, mixing hip hop and pop in an interesting way. I'm not sure on the price but it's probably not more than ten bucks.
Wednesday
Sebastien Tellier @ The Fonda.
Finally. I've missed Sebastien Tellier the last few times he's come through town but I'll finally be there this time. I'm not sure how well his sexualized French pop is going to play in a big space like the Fonda, but it's definitely worth a shot. If you're not familiar, he plays a variation on AM Gold-style pop, kind of like Air, and he was produced by one half of Daft Punk. It's fun, sexy music and I bet he'll put on a great show.
Thursday
Wu Tang Clan @ The House of Blues Sunset. $18.
This is the whole Wu Tang Clan except for Method Man, who we just saw two weeks ago at the same venue. So, expect to see RZA, GZA, Raekwon, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, and Masta Killa. That's pretty crazy. As always with the Wu Tang, you never know who's going to be really bringing it that night, and what the setlist is going to look like, but Los Angeles loves the Clan so my guess is that they'll give the full 100%.
Friday
The Bronx, Crystal Antlers @ The Echo. $12
So far this has been a relatively tame week, so why not burst open the weekend with The Bronx. They're somewhat local, hailing from the South Bay, and they've got a new album out that's getting pretty great reviews. They play a type of snarling, smart punk rock that Against Me fans will really be into. Nice pairing with Crystal Antlers from Long Beach. Should be a heavy night, and this is a small venue for the Bronx.
Saturday
Aimee Mann @ The Wiltern. $35
This is Aimee Mann's third annual Christmas Show. Usually it's at Largo but I guess she's outgrown it. She puts on a full variety show, with special guests, some skits, and of course Christmas songs. This year's special guests include Nellie McKay, Grant-Lee Phillips, Patton Oswalt, and Paul F. Tompkins. I caught this last year and it was hilarious and heartwarming. This is the show of the week.
Sunday
Little Joy @ The Troubadour. $15
The self-titled record from Little Joy quickly became one of my favorites of 2008. It's the perfect mix of casual soul and folk, without dallying in hippie bullshit or cliché. It's a great little document of Los Angeles. They haven't played too many shows, though this is their third show in LA so far. Expect Fabrizio Moretti and the gang to be cheerful and mellow on a Sunday night. I'm definitely looking forward to this.
The Gray Kid @ The Echoplex.
The No Age show at Troubadour is sold out, the Smashing Pumpkins set at Gibson Ampitheatre is going to be a joke, so why not take in some local soul with The Gray Kid. It's been about a year since I've seen him out but he always puts on a good show. The dude just oozes charisma and he's usually pretty hilarious, mixing hip hop and pop in an interesting way. I'm not sure on the price but it's probably not more than ten bucks.
Wednesday
Sebastien Tellier @ The Fonda.
Finally. I've missed Sebastien Tellier the last few times he's come through town but I'll finally be there this time. I'm not sure how well his sexualized French pop is going to play in a big space like the Fonda, but it's definitely worth a shot. If you're not familiar, he plays a variation on AM Gold-style pop, kind of like Air, and he was produced by one half of Daft Punk. It's fun, sexy music and I bet he'll put on a great show.
Thursday
Wu Tang Clan @ The House of Blues Sunset. $18.
This is the whole Wu Tang Clan except for Method Man, who we just saw two weeks ago at the same venue. So, expect to see RZA, GZA, Raekwon, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, and Masta Killa. That's pretty crazy. As always with the Wu Tang, you never know who's going to be really bringing it that night, and what the setlist is going to look like, but Los Angeles loves the Clan so my guess is that they'll give the full 100%.
Friday
The Bronx, Crystal Antlers @ The Echo. $12
So far this has been a relatively tame week, so why not burst open the weekend with The Bronx. They're somewhat local, hailing from the South Bay, and they've got a new album out that's getting pretty great reviews. They play a type of snarling, smart punk rock that Against Me fans will really be into. Nice pairing with Crystal Antlers from Long Beach. Should be a heavy night, and this is a small venue for the Bronx.
Saturday
Aimee Mann @ The Wiltern. $35
This is Aimee Mann's third annual Christmas Show. Usually it's at Largo but I guess she's outgrown it. She puts on a full variety show, with special guests, some skits, and of course Christmas songs. This year's special guests include Nellie McKay, Grant-Lee Phillips, Patton Oswalt, and Paul F. Tompkins. I caught this last year and it was hilarious and heartwarming. This is the show of the week.
Sunday
Little Joy @ The Troubadour. $15
The self-titled record from Little Joy quickly became one of my favorites of 2008. It's the perfect mix of casual soul and folk, without dallying in hippie bullshit or cliché. It's a great little document of Los Angeles. They haven't played too many shows, though this is their third show in LA so far. Expect Fabrizio Moretti and the gang to be cheerful and mellow on a Sunday night. I'm definitely looking forward to this.
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