Review: Mudhoney at The Echo on April 14, 2013

George, the host of George Had a Hat airing 10:00 am - 1:00pm on Tuesday's, recently saw Mudhoney at The Echo on April 14, 2013. His review is below. Heather McCoy, the host of The Heather McCoy Show airing 8:00 - 9:00 am on Tuesday's and the host of Rachel Ray's Cooking Accident airing 6:00 - 8:00 pm on Tuesday's, took the photo of Mudhoney below. For more from George visit http://ghat.kuci.org. For more from Heather visit http://kuci.org/talk/ and http://www.kuci.org/~cmccoy/.

Fifteen years may have gone by since I saw them at the Galaxy(Observatory) in Santa Ana. But time hasn’t stoped this veteran grunge/punk rockers. Mudhoney is Still delivering a fast-paced, high energy set for a packed house at The Echo.

 While there may have been less moshing and rowdiness than in years past, the older crowd still banged their heads, crowd surfed and even managed a few stage dives throughout the show. One such unwelcome appearance on stage by a staggering lady resulted in the band starting a song over mid-way through. However, there were no complaints from the fans getting to hear one of their favorites one more time.

While the set list consisted of all but one song from their most recent album Vanishing, Mudhoney delighted fans with tunes deep from their archive, including “You Got It” and “Get Into Yours” off their 1988 self-titled album.

Mudhoney Set List:

Slipping Away

I Like It Small

You Got It

Suck You Dry

Get Into Yours

Who You Drivin’ Now?

In This Rubber Tomb

Sweet Young Thing (Ain’t Sweet No More)

Judgement, Rage, Retribution and Thyme

No One Has

Good Enough

Touch Me I’m Sick

What to Do With the Neutral

I’m Now

The Final Course

I Don’t Remember You

The Only Sun of the Widow from Nain

Encore:

Sing This Song of Joy

Chardonnay

Tales of Terror

Review: Youth Lagoon and Lady Lazarus @The El Rey 4/17

Josh, the host of the Noodle Incident from 1:00 - 2:00 pm on Thursday's, recently saw Youth Lagoon and Lady Lazaru at the El Rey on April 17th, 2013. Read his review below with photos by Lisa Sondora. For more from Josh visit http://incidentalnoodle.tumblr.com/.  

Since Coachella’s recent expansion into a two weekend affair, several acts have taken advantage of their extended stay to embark on small west coast tours in the interim. As part of this overflow, often dubbed “Localchella,” Trevor Powers recently found himself in Los Angeles’ beautiful El Rey theater under the guise of his soaring-ly introspective musical persona, Youth Lagoon.

            The night began with California native, Melissa Ann Sweat, taking the stage under her Lady Lazarus moniker. Equipped with but a solitary piano illuminated by a single stage light, Sweat’s presence befitted the El Rey’s old-timey aesthetics. Her piercing, operatic voice laced over elegiac piano lines that often circled back into a morbid cocoon not unlike a less bleep-bloopy Zola Jesus. It’s a shame then that Sweat’s stage presence isn’t quite on the same level as Nika Danilova’s, as her folksy dirges were soon swallowed by a crowd presumably antsy to hear “Seventeen” and split.

            After an exhaustive sound check, Youth Lagoon emerged – accompanied by the same soundscapes that opens Powers’ newest LP Wondrous Bughouse, which may be best described as the aural equivalent of an underwater carnival ride (an image the awesome cover art seems to visually portray). These opening moments were just as important on stage as on the record, setting the terms for Powers’ more cacophonous approach to songwriting before materializing into the thudding, melodic hook of Bughouse single “Mute.”

            This was followed by a string of Bughouse cuts that further differentiated the Boise act’s sound from the nostalgia-soaked anthems of its predecessor, Year of Hibernation. The crowd did, however, visibly express their appreciation when the band launched into Hibernation highlight, “Posters.” The relative lack of Hibernation tunes served the night well, though – allowing Bughouse’s spell to more fully envelop the crowd in its singular charm.

            “You’ll never die” Powers repeatedly screams during Bughouse standout, “Dropla,” and for the duration of his performance of that song – all 10 odd minutes of it – I believed him.

Review: Feeding People and King Khan & The BBQ Show at The Observatory 4/18/13

DJ Cow in a Shoe Store, the host of Jelly Jive airing Fridays 12:00-3:00pm, recently saw Feeding People and King Khan & The BBQ Show at The Observatory in Santa Ana on April 18, 2013. Her show review and photos are below. For more from DJ Cow in a Shoe Store visit http://jellyjiveradio.tumblr.com/.


Feeding People

Lucky me got to witness the legendary King Khan and The BBQ Show at The Constellation Room with my co-host, DJ Meow Mix, on an obviously typical thursday night. We knew the night was going to be interesting from the second we approached the venue, realizing that there was another show happening on the bigger stage of The Observatory on the same night. It was 2 Chainz. So there were a lot of people there dressed in clubbing attire. It was pretty apparent who was there for 2 Chainz and who was there for King Khan. 
When we made our way The Constellation Room, we were wondering who the opening bands were, since it did not say anything on the event page. We found out Tashaki Miyaki and Feeding People were the openers. It was my first time seeing Tashaki Miyaki, and I was very impressed. The drummer was singing melodic and sad songs that really touched the heart. But there were two girls right at the front of the stage talking very loudly which was very rude. They also did not look like the typical King Khan fans, so we were a little worried the girls were at the wrong stage...we were right. So my co-host and I told them that 2 Chainz was playing at the bigger stage. That was the funniest part of the night, even though I felt really bad because they were rude and did not respect Tashaki Miyaki during their set. Feeding People also played a great set, as usual. The crowd was warming up and getting ready for a body moving dancey time. 


King Khan & The BBQ Show

When King Khan and The BBQ Show came on stage, they were wearing these lovely little numbers that just foreshadowed what was about to come...absolute craziness, which was exactly what happened. Their up beat funky rock ‘n roll songs got everyone in the dancing mood and people went wild. Everyone felt the energy from King Khan’s sweat dripping all over the audience. It sounds gross, but it was beautiful. When he took off his shoes, a girl in the audience started to put her fingers through his toes and even attempted to lick them. All in all, it was a great show, and we left smiling.

Review: CHVRCHES – Recover EP

This album review was written by DB, the host of Party at Gatsby's airing Tuesdays 6:00-8:00am. For more from DB visit http://lepartyatgatsbys.tumblr.com.

CHVRCHES – Recover EP

By Katrina Yentch

Formed in Scotland, CHVRCHES is a new electronic group that has recently released an EP for the States. Recover EP (3/26 on Glassnote Records) features three tracks and an added remix of the single Recover. “Recover” is a pleasant way to start the album. Lead singer Lauren Mayberry takes over the vocals of this track, creating essences of pop intertwined with the overall electric feel that the EP brings. “If I recover, will you be my cover?” Mayberry begs, as the song progresses from a singular beat to multiple orchestral tones that are generally pleasing to listen to. It’s a strong start that leads way to the following track, “ZVVL,” which appears to take a bit more of a slower pace, with vocal help by synthesizer Ian Cook. However, the song seems to build, gathering intensity as Mayberry joins him in their chanting of the chorus. Is there a chorus in this song though? Probably not; I’d say that it’s replaced with a repetitive instrumental breakdown. Overall, nothing too memorable. The last track, “Now Is the Time,” is a surprisingly “ending-sounding” end to the EP. Reminiscent of 80’s electronic music, Mayberry croons as Cook chimes in during the choruses. Again, it is generally pleasant to listen to. It certainly meshes well with the lyrics that the group is trying to convey. A message to act now and think later, the instrumentals allow this to be delivered with spirit. For some odd reason, the song and its lyrics remind me of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” (However, Recover doesn’t end here. The trio tosses in a remix of their single mixed by Cid Rim. The remix reminds me of something that would be a part of a soundtrack to an old school videogame. It seems to reversibly slow the pace of the song, till an instrumental breakdown of drums reclaims the upbeat attitude that the song carries. It’s an interesting take on the song, but definitely makes it more electronic and less pop. The EP is overall an interesting start to CHVRCHES’ recognition in the U.S. If the whole album is to sound like the EP, though, I suggest tossing it aside with the other electronic artists that are playing with synthesizers. The tracks are agreeable and easy to listen to, but it does not seem like something that would be worth keeping on repeat in the car. Regardless, you can listen to the EP for free via Pitchfork at (http://pitchfork.com/advance/51-recover-ep/). If anything, I would make “Now Is The Time” a good “go to” song to add to a “feel good” playlist.

6 ½ out of 10      (or?)       3 out of 5

Review: Telekinesis – Dormarion: Pop Angst at its Finest Review

This album review was written by DB, the host of Party at Gatsby's airing Tuesdays 6:00-8:00am. For more from DB visit http://lepartyatgatsbys.tumblr.com.

It seems all too recently since 12 Desperate Straight Lines came out. However, that was 2011, and this month, front man Michael Lerner decided to welcome spring with his third studio album, Dormarion (4/2 via Merge Records). It’s a lot of music to take in, as the album consists of 12 tracks in under 45 minutes. Throughout you can expect to hear a lot of what you’d usually expect of Telekinesis: toe-tapping, pop rock tracks that simply put you in a plain good mood. They’re the songs that you walk around campus to. They’re auditory fuel right before a huge test or presentation. Dormarion starts out strong with “Power Lines,” a clever metaphor for the connection between locked lips. It’s upbeat, bright, and leads way for an even louder second track, “Empathetic People.” Here, Lerner experiments with a genre I’d like to coin as “pop angst.” Otherwise known as purposely anger-driven yet effortlessly cute. The single off the album follows, “Ghosts and Creatures.” It seems to be the outlier to the album as a whole. It is more direct of a message from Lerner, a call to escape loneliness as he delivers in a verse, “Yes, I need a friend, seeing things in black and white again.” It’s an impressive experimental turn from what Telekinesis is used to doing. Dormarion also slows it down a bit for listeners later on with “Symphony,” which seems to almost lead way for the following track, “Dark to Light.” It’s almost as if the track title and song itself pick up “Symphony.” Perhaps Lerner intended the two to work in conjunction with each other. The last track that seems to stray from Telekinesis’s roots is “Ever True.” It plays with 80s synth pop and immediately you can envision the bright highlighter pinks and greens that practically ooze from the lyrics of the song. A catchy electric keyboard riff accompanies this feel: surprised? The album as a whole is characteristic of what Telekinesis is good at doing: creating toe-tapping pop rock. However, it is done is such a crisp, clear manner that we don’t really ask ourselves, “Why doesn’t he just try something different?” He does with a few tracks and that’s all that really matters. It is Lerner’s precision with this genre that makes the album a great follow up to 12 Desperate Straight Lines. The album takes a good amount of turns with upbeat and happy to upbeat and angsty, if that appears to be a difference for some. For the purpose of Telekinesis’s genre, it certainly is. He basically sticks to his roots, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing! The man is talented too; while he may have a full band with him live, Lerner actually sings and plays a majority of the instruments in the studio when he records. We can add some credibility to Dormarion for that, right? A perfect way to start spring, the album is great soundtrack for your car rides to the beach.   

Review: James Blake - Overgrown

This album review was written by DB, the host of Party at Gatsby's airing Tuesdays 6:00-8:00am. For more from DB visit http://lepartyatgatsbys.tumblr.com.

Recommend if: You want a slow yet symphonic musical experience.

James Blake: Overgrown

To premise the album, I will start off right away by declaring that this album is an experience. It is an album that demands the entire focus of the mind for full enjoyment. In order to really embrace this record, you have to lie on your floor with headphones on. Heavy bass capabilities on these headphones is a bonus. However, this can also be a lullaby. Placid dreaming is ensured afterwards. Out 4/8 (Polydor Ltd.), Overgrown is the sophomore to James Blake’s successful self-titled album not too long ago in 2011. With a second go comes a honed craft, as Blake truly experiments and dives deeper into his electronic roots with even more symphonic and orchestral waves of high notes and synth. 

The opening track, “Overgrown,” is bass-driven, and this only serves as an introduction for the bass that is about to encompass the entire album, which seems to be swallowed by it. Again, you’re not going to enjoy this as much unless you’ve got some great speakers or leak-free headphones. “I Am Sold” follows, which continues with the repeated lyrics, “speculate what we feel.” The instrumentals take this as a key, offering little accompaniment in order to contemplate these words that continue throughout the majority of the song. “Life Round Here” picks up the pace of the generally slow tempo album then follows with “Take a Fall For Me.” It seems to offer a fresh perspective of music from Wu Tang Clan’s RZA, who raps to the track with back vocal help by James Blake. This does seem to tear a bit away from the lyrics or the message of the song; I felt that Blake’s vocal samples made the song a bit comical, as his attempt to keep the song reflective of his genre alternately made me laugh a little; there were spurts of high notes that were awkwardly thrown in throughout. However, “Retrograde” makes up for this, Overgrown’s single. Simply put, it is marketable for a wider audience. It is simple, melodic, and incredibly contagious: expect this track to be stuck in your head for the next few days. Blake takes a right turn from this and “DIm” is brought forth. Here, we hear a slowed tempo once again, but with piano accompaniment. Blake also seems to really experiment with his vocals, as he constantly shifts from sets of high notes to low notes. It is representative of what he does with the entire album, actually. He is clearly a fan of voice samples and chooses to replace these with generic collective choruses in songs. What comes next is the most experimental yet also most well done track in the album, and my personal favorite: “Digital Lion.” I am passionately amazed by this song. It does not even sound like a song more so than it does of a set of electrocuted footsteps and beats that tell a story. “Did you tell a lie?” Blake chants, as the footsteps get louder and louder and quieter and quieter throughout the song. There is an “organized chaos” to the dynamic of “Digital Lion.” The entire song basically places you in the middle of an electric jungle. After this chaos comes “Voyeur,” which seems to differ from the prior: It is crisp and clean; consistent beats ensue, creating a dance vibe that is dance-able in a “James Blake sort of way.” The final two tracks, “To the Last” and “Our Love Comes Back” bring the album to a happy ending, as Blake concludes with these tracks at an average speed. 

Overall, Blake truly impresses listeners and fans with his sophomore album. With this, we can ensure that James Blake is here to stay and to hone his electronic craft.  

Review: Vampire Weekend Plays Fox Theater Pomona on 4/18/13

DB, the host of Party at Gatsby's airing Tuesdays 6:00-8:00am, recently saw Vampire Weekend at the Fox Theater in Pomona on April 18, 2013. Her show review is below. For more from DB visit http://lepartyatgatsbys.tumblr.com.

Thanks to Coachella, I was fortunate enough to catch a week’s worth of bands. While in town, musical artists playing at the music festival will make an appearance at various venues in SoCal to play for some who might not have been able to make it out to Coachella (such as myself) or even possibly for those who wanted to watch a band at the same time as another band’s set. In this case, Vampire Weekend chose the Fox Theater in Pomona to do this on the night of Thursday, April 18^th. 

Tanlines opened the show with a funk/beach/synth set, hyping the crowd with merely a set of drums, guitars, and the vocal accompaniement. As opposed to the usual bore of an audience during an opening act, this was quite the opposite. In my place in the middle of the venue I could see heads bobbing and bodies moving all in front, and let me tell you, for a 5’0 feet young lady, this is something worth noting. 

After the usual obnoxious half hour of moving in between sets, Vampire Weekend came on with a hilarious, uplifting instrumental piece that could be compared to the “Chariots of Fire” theme song. The song of anticipation was justifiable: the band had not released an album since January of 2010 (Contra). The crowd was roaring non-stop.

Something I noticed too about the crowd was the age set. It seemed as if Vampire Weekend’s fan base had certainly grown up; we were all in high school or our first couple years of college during their last album. It seemed as if us reliable fans had grown up while waiting for a new album to come out, and it was apparent that nobody under the age of 18 was in the audience. Let’s admit it: Vampire Weekend is not completely relevant to today’s popular music at the moment. However, they are soon to make a comeback on May 10 with the release of Modern Vampires of the City. You can most certainly expect a review from me soon. 

Anyhow, following the instrumental introduction came “Cousins,” a bright and loud opening that caused the entire crowd to become a wave of bobbing heads and moving feet. This was also seen with the members of the band, as Ezra Koenig, lead singer and guitarist, seemed to dance through each song with his classical guitar and an entertaining swagger. He swayed back and forth and walked all over the stage as if he didn’t care where he would end up by the end of a song. Chistopher Baio, bassist, was the complete opposite; it appeared that he had a set of coordinated moves that he had been working on throughout the band’s touring history. Let’s just say that leg-jive-type movements were a part of the whole shebang, and it was wholly appreciated by us audience members. 

The stage was incredibly and elaborately set. With the theme of “modern Vampires” came these large stone pillars hanging from the stage that had lights attached to them; the stage lit up throughout the entire set with shades of purple, red, yellow, and voltages of strobe lights throughout the faster paced songs like “A-Punk” and “Giving Up the Gun.” Midway through the set the white sheet hanging as a backdrop fell, revealing a floral one that was characteristic of a Gilly Hicks shopping bag, pardon the reference. Lastly, a mirror hanging in the middle of the backdrop would project images throughout each song that was characteristic of the themes they were conveying. This ranged from fallen chandeliers to, oddly enough, a bust of a statue, looking and “judging” the band and audience. 

Vampire Weekend played three songs from the upcoming album: “Steps,” “Diane Young,” and “Ya-Hey” all of which were received with enthusiasm by the audience. “Steps” and “Ya-Hey” are reflective of their sound, whereas “Diane Young” is a little more “rock n roll” sounding and edgy; red lights accompanied the song. 

Overall Vampire Weekend kept the show high-energy, constantly thanking fans for keeping the set alive and cheering whenever an instrumental break ensued during songs. Closing, as always, with “Walcott,” Vampire Weekend set the audience for a great comeback to follow.

Mac DeMarco at the Observatory, 4/6/13 by Jeff Sizemore

        
Jeff Sizemore recently saw Mac DeMarco at The Observatory in Santa Ana on April 16, 2013. His show review is below. 

        Mac DeMarco set the tone of the night when he handed over vocal duties on the chorus of “Rock and Roll Night Club” to his bassist, transforming the dive bar-karaoke of the recording into something that would have moshed comfortably with SST’s roster. The band ran through their set at a relatively punk rock pace, bashing out all the favorites until they arrived at “She’s Really All I Need,” which exploded into the live equivalent of flipping through radio stations. A little smooth jazz here, a bit of that late-90s rap-metal delusion there, and plenty of classic rawk slapped in between, all filtered through Mac’s trademark bizarro lens before finally winding its way back without warning. The crowd at the Constellation Room was in top form that night. The venue either consists of a sea of heads gently bobbing behind smartphone screens or, if you’re lucky, a kind of quasi-pagan ritual just short of demanding a human sacrifice. It was a lucky night, the room like one of those animations of gas particles, bodies bounding off of one another in divine chaos. The bassist’s determination to keep the set rolling (and his beer upright) in spite of the madness was a necessary foil to Mac, who was beaming at all the sweaty faces and encouraging them after each song with a “very sexy”. Everyone was raised to such a pitch that the usual trickle of kiss stealers, plainclothes clowns, and failed Olympic divers onto the stage became a flood that claimed the stage by the end of the set. Mac allowed the gathered faithful to lift him up, and they attempted to pass him to the few adherents left on the main floor. Unfortunately, crowd surfing inevitably ends when someone, for whatever reason, doesn’t think to look above them during a show and in the next moment finds themselves not only with a boot in their face, but a body they now have to keep from dropping onto some concrete. If you’re wondering why such an internet-savvy person as yourself didn’t hear about Mac DeMarco dying a week ago, let me clear everything up by affirming that he did not, in fact, die. Everyone seems to hit the ground just hard enough to have a purple badge of honor covering their knee but never enough to send them to the hospital (though nothing quite says “hardcore” like stitches). Noticing that the frontman had disappeared after taking a dive, the security team came to the decision that there might be too many people onstage, Mac’s bassist assisting them by offering the crowd his sarcastic thanks over the PA. Once everything was clear, Mac hopped back onto the mic and picked up their closer, 2’s “Together,” where they’d left off, everyone wailing along with the chorus. Mac DeMarco’s the rare musician that understands the difference between the record and the concert, and he exploits it in his impish fashion. And with both of his records released just last year, there's plenty bizarro goodness to come.

You can find Mac DeMarco on Captured Tracks. Also, be sure to check out opener Fletcher C. Johnson, whose folksy pop traces its lineage to Neil Young and Bob Dylan with a bit of Buddy Holly in the harmonies, but this ain’t cheap imitation. It’s modern. It’s classic. And you can find it on Burger Records.

The Presets with Dragonette and Classixx at the Avalon on May 21 Ticket Giveaway!

Tune in to KUCI 88.9 FM in Irvine for a chance to win tickets to The Presets with Dragonette and Classixx at the Avalon on May 21!

Listen to KUCI 88.9 FM for a chance to win tickets to Desert Daze, 4/20 in Mecca, CA!

Burgerama II - 3/22/13 @ Observatory Show Review

DJ Cow in a Shoe Store, the host of Jelly Jive airing Fridays 12:00-3:00pm, recently attended Burgerama II at The Observatory in Santa Ana on March 22, 2013. Her show review and photos are below. For more from DJ Cow in a Shoe Store visit http://bruised-and-confused.kuci.org/.

Burgerama II at The Observatory was a two day shabang! Friday March 22 and Saturday March 23 and sold out both nights. I was lucky enough to go to friday night’s show to be apart of the madness. The lineup was insanely good, with acts like The Black Lips, The Spits, Bleached, Pangea, Fuzz, The Audacity, Tijuana Panthers, and The Garden. It started at 5:30 with Tijuana Panthers opening the whole show, and ended at about 1:30am! 

Last year’s Burgerama was equally as fun, just with some different performers. But the nights started the same, getting some fast food burgers in our tummys before the show. More like rushing to get the grub down to make it in time for Tijuana Panthers. When we got there, we immediately ran to The Observatory’s main stage where kids were already dancing and having a blast in the pit. It was cool being there early because we got to see more and more people pack the venue as time went by.




The Garden

The Garden played on the smaller stage in the room called The Constellation Room. I was very excited to see them again because they always put on a crazy show. They’re two brothers, twins to be exact, who play punky bass and drum songs all shorter than a minute long. The drummer, Fletcher Shears, always looks fabulous dressed in women’s clothing with a face full of tastefully painted makeup. They started their set with the new song “Get Me My Blade” where everyone was laughing in discomfort and confusion. They quickly played more of their punky songs after that little teaser, and entertained like no other. It was definitely one of my favorite sets at Burgerama II.

Fuzz

Fuzz was a band everyone was very excited to see live, since it is a new side project band of Ty Segall and Charlie Moonheart. Ty was still the singer like the other bands he is in, though in Fuzz, he drums instead of plays guitar. The title of their band says it all, it’s fuzzy garage rock that will make your heart feel cosy and even furry. However, I think Ty Segall performs better when he isn’t behind the drums, only because the energy is harder to get across while sitting down. But all in all, people were dancing and just happy to be in the presence of the lo-fie god himself.


Pangea

When Pangea went on, the party started. This band is a local favorite from LA. They played at last year’s Burgerama on the smaller stage, and were upgraded to the main stage this year with the accumulated fans over time. They play the funnest upbeat garage doo-wop punk music you’ll ever hear. The pit was packed at this point, and the kids went wild. They played 2 songs never played live before, “Badillac” and “Offer,” which were awesome and definitely a treat. I also found it cute that the drummer, Erik Jimenez, was wearing a White Fang T-shirt, while the drummer of White Fang was wearing a Pangea T-shirt.

Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde

After Pangea, Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde played an interesting set. They were a hip hop group, so many people were confused at first of why such an act was booked at a show consisting of mainly garage rock acts. But people started warming up to the change in tone, and started bopping their heads and arms in the pit. The best part of the act was when a little boy, toddler age, went up on stage and started dancing. I assume he was related to one of the members of the group, and everyone awwed in cuteness.


The Spits


The Black Lips

By the time The Black Lips came on, it was 12:30am. Everyone was exhausted but somehow still energized with the anticipation. The band killed it as usual, not letting anyone down, and ending the show in the best way possible. The only strange thing for me was realizing that less people tried to roll on stage to kiss the members of the band, which is a typical thing at Black Lips concerts. 

You can catch a glimpse of the night in BRGR TV’s 18th Episode, “The Rama” below

The Joy Formidable - The Observatory - March 18, 2013

Marko, the host of Modern Girls Radio, recently saw The Joy Formidable @ the Observatory on March 18, 2013. Marko's show review and photos can be found below. Check out more from Marko at moderngirlsradio.tumblr.com.

The Joy Formidable - The Observatory - March 18, 2013

With the release of their new album, "Wolf's Law", Welsh rockers, The Joy Formidable began their North American tour by starting fresh and hot at The Observatory in Santa Ana this past Monday, March 18, to a crowd full of raw energy and excitement. The Joy Formidable are no strangers to the Southern California crowd as they have played previously here in the OC and LA for their first album and EP tours, doubling their crowd size and fanbase each time they have toured The States.

This comes to no surprise as their show offers a different taste of what dream pop can be capable of accomplishing. With heavy riffs, punchy bass, melodic and sweet vocals provided by Rhiannon "Ritzy" Bryan, and plenty of proper stage presence, The Joy Formidable isn't your average indie rock band. Their concert began with a rushing song off their new album, "Cholla" proved to be quite the opener and got the crowd jumping and dancing without delay. Then, without breaking, the band continues the high energy with "Austere" and "This Ladder Is Ours" in which I was able to catch a few good snapshots of the band's energy before being escorted out of the press area. After a brief break of slower-paced tracks, the trio impacted the crowd with a crowd-favorite in "Cradle" off their debut EP. This song proved to be the best and most fun to dance, bump, and jump on as it featured Ritzy's adorable yet fierce way of interacting with the crowd.

As the show turned a bit acoustic, a few guys in the crowd complimented Ritzy's figure and hair; in which she took no offense and playfully interacted with the complimenting crowd. Then, after a brief encore, Ritzy and Rhydian (bass, vocals) took it to the next level and performed a few stage stunts by letting the crowd in the rail touch their instruments. By the end of these stunds, Rhydian's bass was on the hands of a fan, who attempted to continue playing the bass while Ritzy gave hugs and kisses to a few lucky concert attendants.


At the end of the night, I wasn't sure if I was in a rock concert or a dream pop concert. Although the vocals and beats provided by drummer Matt Thomas are geared towards the dream pop genre, their performance, energy, and communication among themselves was a refreshing take on alternative rock. It was definitely worth the somewhat inefficient and laggy concert security.

The Joy Formidable are to continue an extensive North American tour until July before they head back to the United Kingdom to play a few gigs. This band is definitely one to look out for, as chances are they'll return next year with a stronger and more energetic show that'll promise to exceed crowds' expectations everywhere.

Kishi Bashi - 3/1 @ Troubadour Show Review

Marko, the host of Modern Girls Radio, recently saw Kishi Bashi @ the Troubadour on March 1, 2013. Marko's show review and photos can be found below. Check out more from Marko at moderngirlsradio.tumblr.com.

One year after his release of his debut album 151a, K. Ishibashi's magestic solo project Kishi Bashi has began to cause some well-deserved notice and recognition by the indie and popular music scenes. His live show, a combination of psychadelic violin loops, vocal experimentation, and dazzling beat boxing, is an espectacle that breaks expectations and leaves a sense of awe and appreciation to the dying art of virtuoso-style music.

After landging a spot on a Windows 8 commercial with his single "Bright Whites", Kishi Bashi has began an extensive North American tour to promote his music and acquire a larger fanbase. I first stumbled upon Kishi Bashi while doing an OPI review on his debut album. Astonished by his proper use of Asian melodies mixed with Classical and Folk techniques, I instantly knew that this artist could only get better in time. Almost an entire year later, he has gathered a resume which includes spots in FYF Festival, SXSW, commercials for Sony and Smart Car, and a sold-out shows in North America and Asia. Most recenly he has toured Southern California and sold out The Troubadour on his first official LA debut, which I was very lucky to attend thanks to a press pass provided by his respresentative.

The concert, which included an opening act by banjo/folk-rock group Tall Tall Trees, was a dazzling show of passion, musicality, talent, and charisma. Tall Tall Trees proved to be an adequate opener and provided a neat set of folk music that has been featured in a few American sitcoms and TV shows such as "Two and a Half Men" and "American Pickers". Kishi Bashi included the entire repertoire of his debut album in an almost improv-like style; switching keys and adding beatbox beats, extra verses, fan-interactions, dancing, clapping, and plenty of energy to add an extra dimension to the studio songs. The show also included a few covers and a new unnamed song which has charted in Japan. "Bright Whites", "Atticus, In The Dessert", and "Manchester" were the concert's highlights and recommended tracks to anyone listening to Kishi Bashi for the first time. With his appearances in both Asia and America in the Marketing department, it is only a matter of tiem until Kishi Bashi breaks into the mainstream side of indie music. Kishi Bashi is set to tour the rest of North America in the next few months and plans to release a 2nd EP later this year.