A favorite among our readers, (placing fourth in our Best of LA’s Readers’ and Fans’ Poll), The Dead Ships is celebrating its record release Tuesday, February 28, at The Echo. The garage-rock duo, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Devlin McCluskey and drummer Christopher Spindelilus, recorded its debut LP, Electric Ahab, in July of 2011 in the fair city of San Francisco. And though the twosome recorded the album live to analog 2” tape in two takes, the tracks sound well planned and precise. McCluskey’s raspy croons, paired with bouncy guitar riffs and tight percussion, creates infectious hooks reminiscent of The Black Keys’ early days with the right balance of minimalistic lo-fi, soul and pop. The Dead Ships will be accompanied by fellow LA darlings, The Ross Sea Party, Hello Echo and The Muddy Reds. Doors at 8:30 pm. 21+. FREE. – Katrina Nattress
Deli LA Readers, Our Best of LA 2011 Poll for Emerging Artists got dragged for way too long this year, but we finally got to the end of it. Here are the results of the overall chart, which gathers all the points assigned through local jury, writers, readers and open submissions. Thanks to all those who voted, we hope that you’ll find a couple of new all-time favorite artists in this list.
They say that punk bands are in their prime when they’re still young, crass, and defiantly apathetic. So it makes sense that FIDLAR isn’t really preoccupied at the moment with tax deductions or even college for that matter – their vicious garage anthems are all about existing in the now, being politically incorrect with a purpose and, you know, having some unabashed fun on a Friday night. (photo credit Alice Baxley)
Smoky garage rock is usually associated with San Francisco, greatly due to the communal kinship and prolific work ethic of bands such as the Fresh & Onlys, Sick Alps, and Thee Oh Sees. But go a little further south and you’ll discover the skuzzy, sun dappled sounds of Allah Las. Sculpted and retro-fitted from the perennial Nuggets compilation, the quartet does occasionally touch base with their sixties forbearers, but their delectable fuzzy nuggets invoke a cool, phlegmatic vibe that’s very much attuned with their home city.
Vanaprasta knows exactly how to channel Los Angeles’ buzz into their music, which is as surprising as a walk in the city itself. Combining psychedelia and rock n’ roll, all five of the band members craft pieces of an intricate puzzle for the listener to put together.
Jada Wagensomer is a multi-instrumentalist who generously lends her talent to numerous fellow LA-based outfits like Jail Weddings, Dante Vs Zombies, Baby & Guy, Streetrobe and The Dumbheads; but, a girl’s got to get her own, too! And for this, Wagensomer began writing her own music under the moniker, Brass Tax. The project’s debut LP, Brass Tax Album, spans a wide array of sounds and influences, pulling from 60s soul and garage rock, as well as classic storytelling pop and punk, all with the help of instrumentation including saxophone, violin, lap steel, Wurlitzer, wind chimes, and the kazoo. Although the sonic spectrum in this album is broad, it is all tied together by Wagensomer’s pop sensibility. These tunes are catchy. Be on the lookout for the LP, which is slated for a March 6th release date via Neurotic Yell Records. You can preview the record here. – Katrina Nattress
Laena Geronimo, singer and multimistrumentalist for Raw Geronimo, displays a rhythmic swing that’s both lively and trippy. With a vocal pitch that varies from playful to ominous (but ever so sticky sweet), Geronimo feels so seductively at ease that its contagious. She’s the driving force in "Role Play" a bouncy, twangy ditty that effortlessly crosses different decades (fifties nostalgia, fun in the sun beach vibes, and seventies Rough Trade post-punk) with a breezy, irreverent tongue-in-cheek slant.
Folk-pop darlings, Sue Scrofa, recently won The Deli LA’s “Best Emerging Artist of 2011” reader’s poll by winning over fans and listeners with lead lady Alyssa Crisswell’s saccharine-sweet, southern croon paired with masterful instrumentation and catchy hooks. Last year found the quartet playing as many shows as humanly possible, but Crisswell and her band decided to lay a bit lower in 2012, shifting focus on writing and recording. To celebrate this transition, us here at The Deli are debuting the foursome’s music video for “Good Morning Mimosa,” one of the many gleaming pop gems that comprise the group’s freshman effort, White Cat. The band is gearing up to re-release the record, including previously unreleased material, so keep your eyes, and ears, peeled, and for now, enjoy this delightful video! – Katrina Nattress
Electro-pop outfit Jamuel Saxon started with a mission to make a more contemplative form of synth pop. But it simply wasn’t in their DNA – as they’ve progressed throughout the years, the San Diego natives realized their music would resonate better if they simply loosen up and make things more fun. Their debut full-length, Pre-Madonna, constantly surprises with its way-out, off the curb synth lines, frantic loops and heavily processed vocals. It finds them building a new sound, one that bursts with wonder and full-on release. You can listen to Pre-Madonna in its entirely on their Soundcloud page.
So the groundhog may have predicted six more weeks of winter, but that doesn’t mean we can’t pretend it’s summertime. And well, in Southern California, winter is just a cooler summer. To accompany your daydreams of summertime, Riverside dream-pop duo Summer Twins are here to help you out. Made up of sisters Chelsea and Justine Brown, Summer Twins evokes the woozy laziness of a day at the beach. They channel a 50’s and 60’s sound that sonically glows. Think Best Coast, minus the talk about weed and cats. Their self-titled album was released last month, and in March they’ll be supporting Peter Case and Paul Collins, including a date at the Echo on the 7th of that month. – Taylor Lampela
In a city that is obsessed with image and fame, it is always refreshing to find something that breaks the mold, and Culver City-based sextet, Bikos, does just that. Led by Gabriel Pearlman, the art-punk outfit creates raw, unadulterated tunes that drip with genuineness. I’m sure, like most bands, the six-piece strives for the ability to make music a career, but it is clear from first listen that its members have no intention to exchange musical integrity for success—they play from the heart, and they have fun with it.
This is apparent in every track that comprises Bikos debut release, Make Your Sound Sound. Pearlman’s wailing croons bare resemblance to the likes of David Byrne, and when he duets with vocalist/co-lead Miki Burton, you could swear you were listening to The B-52’s. Influences aside, this is not a copycat band. With six members, each brings something new to the table, resulting in a record that ranges in sound textures.
Just take the album’s first two singles, “You Want It,” and, “That is Mine.” The former is a rickety, fast-paced anthem led by staggering guitars and Pearlman’s and Burton’s clamorous shouts, and the latter, clocking in at just under five and a half minutes, takes more of a muddy, instrumentally focused approach—vocals don’t kick in until about the two-and-a-half-minute mark. From first listen, it’s hard to identify the songs as the same band, but after multiple spins, it’s apparent they have the same core.
This musical range is what’s going to set Bikos apart from other acts in its genre, and I look forward to see what 2012 brings its six loyal members. For now, a follow-up EP is in the works, and the band has a slew of local shows coming up (listed below). You can stream Make Your Sound Sound in its entirety here. – Katrina Nattress
The LA-based lo-fi outfit 3 ½’s sound may be as adorable as its debut EP First Recording’s album art, which depicts each member of the trio, instrument in hand, with the head of a cat. Led by vocalist Leila Jarman, the three-piece produces straightforward, uncluttered indie-pop with sugary sweet melodies. After taking a two-year hiatus, local radio station KXLU rediscovered the EP, with the help of local record label Co Wave’s radio show on the station, resulting in a scheduled performance at this year’s SXSW festival. You can discover the EP for FREE on the band’s site, and for those of you lucky dogs (or cats) heading down to Austin in March, be sure to check out 3 ½’s set! – Katrina Nattress
Caught up in swirling layers and textures, Lucky Dragons emerges with a new album next month. A collaboration of two LA based artists, Sarah Rara and Luke Fischbeck, they have been known for visually and physically exciting live shows as well as their own brand of psychedelic pop that follows no discernible trend. The looping repetition in their new single "Existers" off their upcoming LP of the same name, remains constant, but evolving. Layers are added and subtracted and all of a sudden, what seemed the same is completely different. It’s quite a trip at just under 7 minutes, but it feels like an idea completely fleshed out. They have a few shows in LA in the next few months; one on January 27 at the Black Box, one on January 28th at the Mahasukha Meditation Center and then on March 10 at the Smell. If you’re looking for some good vibes, they’ve got plenty to spare. – Taylor Lampela
Two of Sacramento’s best-known rock musicians have started calling Los Angeles home and been working on a new spellbinding project called ††† (Crosses). Long time friends Chino Moreno (of the Deftones) and Shaun Lopez of Far and Chuck Doom will be releasing the second installment of an EP series this Tuesday. The EP is simply called "EP ††". The first release, "EP †", was made available for free on the band’s website last August. With dark themes and soft electronic beats, the music is somewhere in between Moreno’s previous projects Deftones and Team Sleep. The songs are haunting and full of unsettling tension, but at the same time can be alluring in a non-depressing and free-flowing way. Moreno’s wails do not get as fierce as on Deftones records, but do carry strong intensity and sense of longing. Later this spring, the band will hit the international festival with appearances at Lollapalooza in Chile and Quilmes Rock in Argentina. However, before heading out of the country, ††† will play a few shows in California including The Glasshouse in Pomona on January 3st. – Karla Hernández
Little Red Lung create melodies that are almost as twisting and turning as saying their name three times fast. Their song “50 Fingers” is as beautiful as it is somber. Zoe-Ruth Erwin, the band’s vocalist and keyboardist, almost dances around Charlene Huang’s eerily bittersweet violin. Also comprised of Nathan Kondor on drums, Rob Hume on bass, and Mike Agentis on euphonium, they create their own upbeat melody by working as a nice juxtaposition to that lingering feeling that there’s something more going on, which Zoe and Charlene do such a great job in conveying. Close your eyes. Let Little Red Lung immerse you with their dark imagery and chilling atmospherics. Something most bands cannot do these days. The band will be playing at the Echo on January 31st. – Ryan Bussard
