It’s hard to find quality in today’s modern rock bands. Tune into a modern rock station and what you get is a playlist of esteemed bands from a bygone era faultily mashed with shallow, supervised by a suit and tie contemporaries. It’s a shame, really. The Alternates seem tailor-fit for what a modern rock station used to sound like before this past decade heavily distorted the influence of younger bands, whose frame of reference doesn’t go any further than vacuous, deafening noise and trite post-grunge. When you listen to the Alternates’ meaty, reverberated riffs and soulful delivery, it’s apparent the LA band have overseen the modern designation of what guitar rock has become and gone back to its more Southern-tinged seventies touch. That’s not to say they have modest aspirations – the songwriting found in their EP Spiders and Webs balances a fuzzy tonality with lighter-hoisting choruses, all executed with casual confidence. As long as they continue to evolve within their classicist intentions, their upcoming debut long player may give the radio airwaves a much needed rattling.
Pageants is one of those bands that teases listeners with a mesmerizing dream pop sound and captivating female vocals that linger in your brain for days. Having only released a handful of songs, the Long Beach duo, comprised of Rebecca Coleman and Devin O’Brien, is building up much anticipation for a full-length release. Some may recognize Coleman from her time playing with Avi Buffalo, but with a voice like hers, it was well overdue for her to start a new project. In addition to playing all over the Los Angeles area, the band has also been buddying up with Best Coast’s Bobb Bruno, who helped record a few tracks in the studio. Let’s hope that they do not keep us waiting for too long. – Karla Hernández
Evan Goytas is a Pennsylvania transplant to the LA area, but the city seems to have helped him produce a unique brand of synth-pop. On the 24th of this month, he’ll release a new EP, entitled Feel Me, on Dovecote Records. Surrounded by looping synth sounds and a simple piano melody, Goytas’ voice floats on top bathed in reverb. It’s almost like post-club music; something for the cool down after the crazy. There’s a certain relaxing effect that makes it the perfect song to sit and listen to in the dark. It’s brooding, but not in a heavy handed way. There’s sure to be more songs on the upcoming EP, which you should check out. You can listen to "Can’t let Anybody Know Who You Are" and other releases on his myspace page. – Taylor Lampela
Mirror Lady’s first song, Roman Candles, begins like a low fidelity dream sequence. Simple and eloquent for the first forty seconds, the listener has no idea what to expect. Then, a heartbroken howl haunts over the backing music, which is equal parts simple and celestial. They state on their Facebook page: “Mirror Lady was born deep in the hills of Silverlake, CA with just her Casio Keyboard and a Cassette Deck.” Mirror Lady’s self-titled debut comes out in February, and be sure to see their very first show on January 22 at Central SAPC with Flora and Fauna! – Ryan Bussard
After a long and arduous voting process, our Deli jurors have rated all the Los Angeles artists that submitted to be considered for our Year End Best of Los Angeles Poll for Emerging Artists – the competition was especially fierce this year, but I can only attribute it to the fact that the LA music scene was simply exceptional. The artists in the list will quality for the next phase of the poll, and will be added to the bands nominated by our jury of local scenemakers. So without further a do…
Raucous and dirty but oh so melodic, FIDLAR keep enamoring with their no-frills garage sound. Their astute meanderings on the everyday slacker resonate with blatant sincerity, all the while emphasizing a rich gamut of catchy hooks to balance their primal raunch. Most likely playing at a venue near you soon enough, these guys continue to restlessly make the rounds, demonstrating that it takes strict work ethic to build an audience. Judging from these results, they’re doing something right; besides, you can’t go wrong with music that brims with so much energy.
A testament to the power of a well-crafted song, we’ve heard so little from the blistering young band aside from the few songs they’ve posted on their bandcamp page. The perfect embodiment of the word emerging, LA Font have made an eminent first impression with their two tracks “Sharks” and “Lipsmack”, in which pungent guitar chords clash against singer Danny Bobbe’s scathing wit. Above all else, this is lively, streamlined rock n’ roll that’s pleading for more expression. In true DIY form, the band is currently seeking funds to produce their first full-length record.
The Sister Ruby Band, helmed by twenty two year old wanderer Johnny Ruby, finds his place within the music he writes. Vacillating between reverb-drench psychedelia and brooding folk, the young artists displays maturity well beyond his years, the result of a deep conviction to construct his compositions with seasoned technicality. But Johnny Ruby is imbuing a lot of heart, and beneath all the proficiency, letting in enough frailty and openness that is easy to relate with.
Yellow Red Sparks writes contemplative folk anthems that are pleasing to the ears, which instantly provide a pleasing soundtrack to take a cruise outside LA’s congested streets. Evoking the same feeling you get when waking up to a toasty, sun-dappled summer, the OC trio’s rich three part harmonies and wistful acoustic serenades are always the right antidote after an exhaustive day.
Do Fake Furs make fun of the consumer driven faux-everything side of LA in how they name themselves? Possibly, but the defining factor that gives this duo gravitas is their propulsive riffage, warped lyrics, and spastic rhythmic grooves. It’s all a bit unusual – they even splatter messy synth lines into their considerably boisterous uproar. To be fair, the nihilistic posturing is apropos with its all-around amplified timbre.
honeyhoney keeps traditional roots alive and well with their own brand of lonely cowboy blues, lingering harmonies and, at times, foot tapping romps. This all reads like a description for some redolent, antiquated storyteller – instead, it’s the sound of two young and attractive-looking musicians giving their own personality to a sound that is flavored with American themes. Its sound is timeless, indebted to old values for a new generation to behold.
L.A. quintet Walking Sleep writes sprightly, rollicking pop songs reminiscent of classic rock n’ roll meshed with brill-building pop and some ELO-isms thrown in for added zest. The saccharine dual vocal contributions from Hunter Curra and Sara Radle flow with a sweetened tone to contrast with Adam Schary’s penetrating, yet tuneful guitar lines. These lopsided pop songs shamble on with equal parts fervor and finesse.
These artists also had really good ratings from our jurors: Good Listener, I Hate You Just Kidding, Molino, Silent Comedy, So Many Wizards, Sue Scrofa, Superhumanoids, The Dead Ships, Vanish Valley.
When I spoke with Bradley Carter and Sean Stentz of NO a mere month ago, not many people knew who they were. The band had recently released its debut EP, Don’t Worry, We’ll Be Here Forever, and played only one legitimate show at Silverlake’s iconic venue, The Satellite. Since then, the anthematic quintet has been stealing the hearts of Angelinos with its powerful, larger-than-life sound (not to mention a damn good live show). The band also found it important to make its debut a free download, encouraging music fans to listen without paying, and, thus, rapidly growing its fanbase. As a result, the indie rockers have landed gigs at staple LA venues such as The Echoplex, Bootleg Bar, and a Monday residency at The Echo in March. You can catch them in action on Friday, January 6th, at The Echoplex. Doors open at 8 pm. $10. 18+. – Katrina Nattress
Have you ever wondered what party metal enthusiast Andrew W.K. would sound like if he were in college? Fear no more, thanks to Luc Fevrier-Silberman and his metal music making merry men. Known to the public as Advocators of Fun, Silberman leads the trio, which consists of himself, Curran Kiel, and Aamir Mauladad. Hailing from San Diego, these jolly music makers will not let anything get in their way of performing. Silberman broke his leg weeks prior to their show at the San Diego Epicenter, a venue, where Los Angeles based rap collective, Odd Future, played only a week before. They believe that music should be fun, and have gone so far to call their first EP, “The Fun EP”. – Ryan Bussard
With a new year comes more opportunities to find new artists to listen to. Even though it’s the middle of winter – and even though it’s California winter, it’s still cold – sometimes you need something bright and sunny to listen to in order to forget that with the end of the holidays means returning to the daily grind. And Montë Mar is just the perfect group to do so. Layering the basic pop elements with a penchant for surf-inspired synth and guitar lines lines (check out the song "Time" on their Different Place EP on the their bandcamp to see what I mean), they easily transport you to a place of few worries. The band formed mainly out of frontman Brian Green’s desire to step out from the back to the front, as he toured as a sideman for several artists, including Michael Bublé. These guys are on the verge of being the next big thing and it’s worth it to check them out. They’re playing a free show at the Satellite on the 6th of this month and will have a Silverlake Lounge residency in March. – Taylor Lampela
Tiff Randol’s latest album, Strangely Familiar, proves that music can make a difference in people’s lives artistically and fundamentally. The six-track album is dedicated to the LA-based painter-singer-songwriter’s best friend, Michal, who died while giving birth to her gorgeous twins, Reverie and Jackson Snyder. The heart-stirring album displays melodious melancholy track to track, encouraging the listener to hold on to what is “strangely familiar” in their world. 10% of all album sale profits will go to Reverie and Jackson Snyder. Get more information at TheSnyderTwins.com. – Nicole Dawley
The usual perception with shoegaze bands is that noise is taken for granted, overthrowing any level of clarity to obscure any aesthetic deficiencies. Sonic commissariats Tennis System convey cathartic passion with a torrent of saturated noise. But this is only found in principle – beneath vigorous guitar squalls and delicate distortion lays an assured sense of narrative thrust. The sound is heavy, yet inviting, which clouds its striking hooks behind layers of drifting high-frequency clatter. Their appearance is masked by delirium, but Tennis System do have a furtive desire to compound all those elements and convert it with a high level of pop songcraft. A visit to their Bandcamp page features the entirely of their latest release “Teenagers”, which should swab your ears with wistful noise bliss in time for what should be an essential visit to whichever venue they play in 2012.
As far as LA’s indie bands rising to commercial success this year, Foster the People takes the crown for 2011, with honorable mentions for Young the Giant and Grouplove. Now looking ahead at 2012, the dazzling pop sounds of Youngblood Hawke place them on a similar path as all the aforementioned bands. Oddly enough, according to Youngblood Hawke’s biography, friends Sam Martin and Simon Katz wanted to avoid commercial pressures and started the band with a simple mindset of having fun and sharing music with friends. Whether or not the band, which also includes Tasso Smith, Alice Katz and Nik Hughes, actually has felt any pressure is unknown, but with bright vocals, sparkling percussion and fluttery guitars they should have very little trouble finding acceptance among music fans around the world.
While 2012 will most likely be a big year for Youngblood Hawke, it does not mean that 2011 was a snooze. On the contrary, the band released an EP in March and had a buzzing residency at The Satellite during the month of October. The exhilarated sounds of songs like "Rootless" and "Dannyboy" reflect the force of a radiating city. The lyrics contain a lot of motion, showing that the band members do not wait for opportunity to knock on their door. Instead, they take charge and make things happen for themselves. The band plans two wrap up a full-length album during the next two months, but do not expect them to be out of the spotlight for long. – Karla Hernández
As of late, many young artists have leaned towards more antiquated musical stylings to boast their musical prowess. It’s a cyclical thing – once what sounds new becomes an old trope, there’s always some relegated genre about to make a reappearance for the even younger to discover. While we wait for the next buzzband to adopt the smooth delivery of Steely Dan, we currently have the winsome pop delicacies of Henry Wolfe. On the surface, the melodies Wolfe performs with his five piece could pass for the slightly unorthodox methods of a young Randy Newman – he’s easy on the eye but his words are pungent, with the smarts to charm a middle-aged lady into liking him and convincing him to drive her up to Margaritaville. This is middle-of-the-road seventies pop of the highest order with a wink of nostalgia thrown into the mix. But the music is anything but ironic – Wolfe’s slick strums and pacific rhetoric are just a way to communicate the pains of unrequited love. So before some top line producer sequesters him for a string of Nora Ephron movie scores (or some quirky animated film about a couple of precocious kids), take a listen to his promising debut Linda Vista before he crosses over – then thinking about it, it’s plausible to imagine the whole family singing along to his memorable ditties.
