Up-and-comers, KG Bird took traditional Americana and baked it in the SoCal sun. There’s is a looser, more relaxed approach to blues and folk that gives it a rebellious edge. With arrangements that are constantly in motion, riding the line of disorder in a way that tantalizingly pushes and pulls, this is a ride you’ll want to take. Haunting and psychedelic at times, eclectic and sparse at others, the six piece, helmed by brothers Chris and Tim James, manage to blend something fresh into a what can easily become a staid and predictable style. Their debut, “Morning Weather” EP is available on bandcamp for pay what you want. Catch them live May 17 at Taix in Echo Park. – Jacqueline Caruso

On March 25th, Los Détroit released their debut EP The Killing, which channels the drift of modern post-rock into something completely their own. The four-member band, comprised of Marian McCarthy(lead singer and former member of Silent Violent), Michael Carian, Jill Marklin and Michael Lloyd, began in LA with "the icy winds of the Detroit River pushing the final members of the group together", creating one rich discrepancy that fuses the minimalism of post-rock and the ethereal sensations of dream pop ambiance. McCarthy’s tranquil voice is an abstract version of Amy Lee from Evanescene and Grace Potter from The Nocturnals, richly layered in echo-delayed, electronic melodies and bittersweet-introspective lyrics that create dreamy soundscapes drenched in atmosphere. Picture this: you’re laying in bed, the lights are off and the ambience of their new song, "Conditions", creeps slowly through your speakers and floods your room with psychedelic, mind-bending music. As a whole, The Killing feels like a a spiritual, uplifting experience that exceeds the limit of one’s thought. So get lost, lose your mind and relax your body, because Los Détroit is an out of body experience. – Kayla Hay

There’s currently a lot of mystery surrounding Los Angeles duo Boardwalk. According to their skimpy facebook bio, they formed in the summer of last year, and in the midst of writing songs they were joined by Mark Noseworthy on lead guitar, better known as one of the members of merry collective Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. The first track to come out of this project, "I’m to Blame", is a quite the charmer, an alluringly mesmeric number that gently sways with a droning keyboard as Amber Quintero’s lush vocals ease through the underlying tension. Local label Stones Throw just released the single as a flexi disc, which is part of a 4-part series in collaboration with LA Record. 

Fronted by Dum Dum Girls’ Drummer, Sandra Vu, SISU blends gloomy synth-pop, shoegaze and electronic rock. Their latest effort, ‘Light Eyes’ EP, will be released on cassette by Burger Records this month. The opening song, “Two Thousand Eyes,” layers lo-fi drum loops, gritty guitars, sparkling synth leads and ghostly harmonies that swirl like ordered chaos. The title track, “Light Eyes,” grabs you right away with it’s catchy hook and tribal groove. The soundscapes ebb and flow throughout the EP, and descend into more experimental territories at times, while still maintaining the doom-like moodiness juxtaposed with hopeful pop melodies. SISU is currently on tour supporting Marnie Stern, with a full length expected later this year. – Jacqueline Caruso

A packed house came out of nowhere last night as the Satellite played host to Los Angeles based duo PYYRAMIDS, musical project of (OK Go’s) Tim Nordwind and Drea Smith (formerly of He Say, She Say). PYYRAMIDS’ latest musical offering “Brightest Darkest Day” is, as the name may suggest, a sweet-sour mix of grungy/moody 90’s reminiscent rock buoyed by sultry-sweet highlights betraying what is, ultimately, a smart little pop album. I went in to the show wondering if they’d be able to match the oh-so-sharp production of their album – and I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. Noticeably, there weren’t any visuals or fancy light displays – but they weren’t overly missed. A cool, confident stage presence was set against a snare-drum tight sound – betraying an undoubtedly serious practice regimen. Nordwind, bespectacled as ever, hopped and swayed with his guitar while Smith kept her feet planted – coolly standing vigil at her mic-stand she rarely let venture more than a few inches away. The regular motley crowd at the Satellite served as a visual metaphor for the set’s undulating tone – one minute swaying slowly, the next thinking about dancing but (correctly) deciding to just bounce in place. In all fairness, the occasional dance-happy hipster may have been excused: PYYRAMIDS put on a dang great show. Armed with great songs and serious musical chops, they kept me and a room full of fellow East-siders happily rapt in cocoons of moody pop-rock for the 40-ish minutes of their set. Driven by Nordwind’s guitar and held aloft by Smith’s raspy, honeyed voice, they are a definite must-see when they come to your local corner of the universe. – Leslie Andrew Ridings

The Psychedelia-tinged Dream-disco sounds of Orange County quintet, Mt. Ossa come to life in their newly released video for “Love Jam.” The video, like the song, is bathed in a haze of effects that make it feel like an overexposed acid dream. It’s beautiful, it’s groovy, but you know there’s going to be fallout. The storyline is a twisted tale of one young girl’s ambition. Spoiler Alert: There’s a stripper fight. Mt. Ossa join myriad local artists this Saturday for a free show at Burke Triolo Studios as part of the South Pasadena Eclectic Music Festival and Art Walk. – Jacqueline Caruso

 

Our love for Chelsea Wolfe’s ghostly harmonics is hard to hide. We were lucky enough to chat with the doom-folk songstress before she hit the stage to charm the eager crowd by the light of the moon. 

 

The Deli: Have you played a lot of festivals? 

 

Chelsea: I haven’t played many festivals. I like it to be more contained. Typically something in the desert doesn’t appeal to me to play music. I love the landscape. It would be fun to come to a festival in the desert, but playing out in the heat doesn’t sound like a good idea to me. That’s why I requested a nighttime set rather than playing during the day. 

 

The Deli: Do you have a favorite venue to play? 

 

Chelsea: I don’t know if I have a favorite, but I like unique spaces. We got to play at the First Unitarian Church in LA for an acoustic show and that was interesting. It’s always more challenging to play in a space that’s not geared to having shows, but it was worth it.

 

The Deli: Today is Record Store Day, do you have something special planned?

 

Chelsea: Yeah, I have a split 7” with King Dude. He’s a good friend of ours and a really great musician. We each wrote a song for it and then sang on each other’s songs. It’s out on Sargent House. I’m excited. I’ve never participated in anything for Record Store Day before. 

 

The Deli: Do you remember the first record you bought?

 

C: I don’t. I’m not really a collector. I’ve been given a lot of really good records over the years. I guess I just leave that to the people around me and then just listen to their music. 

 

The Deli: Is there anything you’re listening to right now that you’re really into? 

 

C: Wardruna. They just came out with a new album I really like. 

 

The Deli: You’re music has a supernatural quality. Is that an intentional inspiration? 

 

C: My aesthetic is a little bit drawn toward cult films. But I don’t consider myself someone who’s interested in the occult or witchcraft or anything like that. I definitely acknowledge the spiritual realm, but it’s not something I specifically draw upon. It’s more of just a sense of cinematic atmosphere. Like visuals in my head. I don’t usually have a lot of visuals live, like projections or anything like that. For me, it’s more about what you see when you close your eyes and really get into the song. 

 

The Deli: What inspires your fashion? 

 

C: I just like certain designers. Just stuff that’s kind of a bit off. I’m just drawn to a certain  sort of aesthetic that’s interesting or a little bit different. I don’t think I have an amazing sense of fashion. Like I said, I don’t do a lot of visuals or visual art. I’m interested in a lot of things like sculpture, but I guess fashion is the only thing that’s represented visually. 

 

The Deli: You’re about to leave for a big tour right? 

 

C: Yeah we’re going to go to Europe and Russia for a month. We did a European tour, but I’ve never been to Russia. I was kind of surprised when we got invited there, but I’m down. We leave Monday. that’s why we’re not camping. 

 

The Deli: Anything else coming up? 

 

C: We have a new album coming out, but it hasn’t been announced. So I’m excited about that. We recorded in Los Angeles mostly. But a lot of the songs are recorded in different places. I like to use different spaces to record if I can. 

 

– Jacqueline Caruso

Photo Courtesy of Leslie Andrew Ridings

Local psych rock outfit, Jeffertitti’s Nile brought their high energy show to the Moon Stage at Desert Daze during the heat of the day. Opening the set with their latest single, “Upside” (streaming below), was unexpected, but perfect for the setting, as it drew the crowd from across the campsite right into their lap. Despite the unrelenting heat of the sun and layers of dust, the band performed as if it was The Hollywood Bowl. From the shiny jackets to the amazing gear, their authenticity as rock stars was fun to watch and engaging from first note to last. Their love for what they do and their sincere appreciation for the fans was palpable and refreshing. They quickly won me over as my new favorite local band, especially in this genre. With a Sgt. Pepper’s meets The Doors vibe, they created space and atmosphere within songs without losing focus. It provided the best of both worlds – great songwriting with arrangements to get lost in, while maintaining great energy and dynamics that always kept your attention. Lead singer and guitarist, Jeffertitti Moon’s sensitive touch and innate ability to infuse tonal qualities and sound design elements throughout the set mixed with drummer, Ignacio Gonzalez’s off kilter rhythms, not to mention keyboardist, Alyson Kennon’s drool-worthy set up including a Rhodes and a 70s mini Korg, made for the perfect mid-day pick-me-up set amidst a long string of jam sessions. Keep your eye on these kids, they’re sure to be on everyone’s radar before long. – Jacqueline Caruso

Photo Courtesy of Leslie Andrew Ridings

Before the psych pop trio took the stage, we caught up with Michael and Tyler of Mini Mansions to talk about life on the road, experiencing a David Lynch night club and where they ate the best burger. 

The Deli: How do you prepare for playing a festival? 

 

Michael: We don’t come out with a special set. For us with these kind of festivals, we’re still a small band and we’re trying to gain new fans, so it’s not like we’re trying to play the hits to appease people. We’re just trying to play what we love and hope people love it.  It’s nothing really different. Maybe a little bit more jamming. 

 

The Deli: Who are you excited to see today?

 

Michael: We would love to see Warpaint. We love those girls. But we have to leave. [to play a show in Palm Springs] It’s good we’ve seen them a couple times before. We opened up for them a couple times. And our friend was recording their new record, so our paths cross. 

But this band sounds good (referring to Cosmonauts, who were playing the Block Stage)

 

The Deli: Today is Record Store Day, do you have anything special for it? 

 

Michael: We have all these songs recorded, but we just couldn’t get something together. So many people do special things, which is so awesome for music fans. 

 

The Deli: Do you remember the first record you bought? 

 

Tyler: Love and The Doors. They were my parents and they were all messed up. Unless you were a collector, your parents just left them in the garage to get all mossy. 

 

Michael: I know the first CD I bought was MC Hammer. I’m sure about that. But the first  record I ever bought, I remember I was eight or something and going to FedCo and I bought Green Day Dookie and Offspring Smash on cassette tape. 

 

The Deli: You spent a lot of time on the road. What was a highlight of all your touring last year (with Foster the People)? 

 

Michael: Paris. It was weird. We did three shows in London. We did Berlin. They were all ok. But then we go to Paris and did two nights and it was just unbelievable. The fans were just like the best crowd you could ask for. Especially opening for a pop band that’s massive. You could tell they love art and they care. 

 

Tyler: We had great burgers there too. It was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. And one of the dopest clubbing nights I’ve ever done. 

 

Michael: That was at the David Lynch club. He has this club in Paris called Silencio. 

 

Tyler: It’s just a club at the end of the day, but the interior design was out of control. When you enter, you’re escorted into this hallway and you have to walk slowly with this security guy and once you get inside there’s just a lot of black glass. 

 

The Deli: What’s next for Mini Mansions?

 

Michael: In a month, we’re doing a short run with Arctic Monkeys. We’re really excited about that. We haven’t toured in a year. So we’re really excited to get out there. We recorded a bunch of new music. 

 

Tyler: We recorded a whole EP. We recorded two new songs of recent. We’ve written essentially 80% of the record already. We spent this year just writing and playing special shows. So when we’re ready we don’t have to go back in the studio and record everything.

 

The Deli: Do you like touring? 

Michael: I love it. If you don’t, you got into the wrong profession. You could stay home too and make music, but if you want to be in a band, you better like the road. Or you figure it out real quickly and make a change. 

 

The Deli: Will you be playing in LA?

 

Michael: Yeah, we’ll play a show right before we leave for tour. We’re just going to throw something together somewhere really small. A free show or something just for fun because we haven’t played LA in a long time. 

 

– Jacqueline Caruso

 

Photo Courtesy of Leslie Andrew Ridings

 

The last we heard about Tape Deck Mountain was in 2009, when they put out their uncompromisingly bleak debut ‘Ghost’. Since then, the San Diego trio have been working on their forthcoming studio album, but not before releasing their latest EP "Slow Salvation", which frontman Travis Travisan actually recorded before jumping ship to Brooklyn. Out of that EP comes the disorienting "Kellies", a fuzzed-out, textural three minutes of austere guitar-based soundsculpting that resides in an unsettling state of mind. 

Tape Deck Mountain – Kellies (Official Music Video) from Travis Trevisan on Vimeo.