Credit: Jason Shindler
Not too much going down in the music world this past week. Although, I did make it to a new weekly event at Drai’s Penthouse in Hollywood to see Basement Jaxx spin alongside HARD‘s own Gary Richards (aka Destructo). Pretty cool night at an even cooler hotel. The vibes, although, I could do without. Pretty much the epitome of high class Hollywood clubbers who know they are better than you. Regardless, it was an experience. It was nice to see Basement Jaxx for free, because I wasn’t able to make it to Smokeout Fest due to unforeseen circumstances. Oh well…there’ll be others!
Delightful Mention!
Artist: The Growlers
There’s something about bands with a timeless sound that always get me. The first time I heard these guys, I could have sworn they were just a bad ass surf/rock/psychadelic band from the 70s, only to find they’re in their mid 20s and local! The Growlers, Costa Mesa’s own, are definitely making a name for themselves, as they should be. The first time I went to see them was at one of their warehouse shows they threw from time to time. Really cool set up. $2 for entry and you get a couples CD with some random songs they had wrote, which ended up becoming collector’s items. They set up the warehouse very creatively and had a bar for everyone. We need more bands to do this. Now they’re opening for the likes off Dr. Dog, The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, and most recently The Black Keys. I saw them when they opened for Julian Casablancas with The Strange Boys. Awesome show. All these bands are worth a listen and have made it on a YOLO List or will at some point, so check them out. They just released an EP called Hot Tropics which you can read more about and download at Let Your Hair Down. Looking forward to their full length.
Artist: Kids At The Bar
Another dancy/electronic DJ duo that is bound to make it in the libraries of every electronic fan out there. Just like I called it with the Bloody Beetroots, Jack Beats, The Twelves and Felguk, these guys are going to do big things in the future. They just need to be heard. Kids At The Bar are remix extraordinaires, and that’s how you have to start. Take a song thats big and put your own spin on it. They have all ready developed their own sound, which is crucial, and theirs is more favorable then most. Their “Walking on a Dream” remix is my favorite rendition of the song. It was the first I heard from them, and “love at first listen” is an understatement. I’ll throw it up in case you missed it. Watch out for these guys.
Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream (Kids At The Bar Remix)
Artist: The Black Keys
All my rock lovers look no further, as these guys are gods amongst men. The Black Keys consists of singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney. They specialize in lo-fi psychedelic rock and blues. These guys formed in 2001, and in 2003 Rolling Stone named them one of the top ten best acts behind Outkast and the White Stripes. I had heard about these guys the first time back in 2006 upon their release of Magic Potion, but it took until their most recent release of Brothers for them to really hit home. I’ve always been an advocate of the lo-fi rock sound, and these guys have damn well nearly perfected it. Another one of those timeless sounding bands that any rock or soul lover is bound to enjoy. The whole Brothers album is a work of art and has taken up a majority of my listening time the past couple weeks. They’ve got a massive discography, so I suggest you get started now.
