Residency Diary: Gamble House, Part One

Residency Diaries are exactly what they sound like: the thoughts, musings, and scribbles of rock bands as they host a series of month-long shows in various Los Angeles venues.  This month’s R.D. entries are from Gamble House, whose orchestral folk and lush psychedelia can be heard every Monday night in February for free at the Silver Lake Lounge.

Week One – Dynamics

Week one, night one – down. Since the holidays, everything has really started to come together. Always weird to start again after a long break, but the residency is proving to be a great way of ‘breaking the ice’. I thought, instead of recounting the show in minute detail, I would focus on an element of the performance that made the night memorable.

Dynamics.

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February 8, 2010 | Filed Under Concert Reviews, Exclusive Features, Residency Diaries | Leave a Comment  |

Free Ticket Giveaway: Shadow Shadow Shade (formerly Afternoons), Twilight Sleep and Marvelous Toy live @ Spaceland (2.12.10)

For those music fans whose pockets will be a little light over Valentine’s Day weekend, we suggest you check out the following promo: Web in Front is giving away three free pairs of tickets to the Shadow Shadow Shade show that we’re presenting this Friday night at Spaceland. Known formerly as Afternoons, SSS will be joined by the excellent Twilight Sleep and Marvelous Toy, and are not to be missed. Simply email your first and last name to giveaways@webinfront.net, and we’ll select three winners at random. See you on Friday.

Stream “Dark of Heather, Pale of Fern” by Shadow Shadow Shade (NEW SONG via Myspace)

February 8, 2010 | Filed Under Music News, Site News | Leave a Comment  |

Album Review: Blair – Die Young

By Travis Woods

Release Date: 1.26.10

Label: Autumn Tone

A (seemingly) impossibly apt student of rock noise and pop hooks, the L.A.-turned-Brooklyn musician Blair has fashioned a debut LP, Die Young, that deftly fuses what are likely the opposite ends of her record collection’s spectrum—amidst a sea of Pavement-patterned indie noise (“Rampage”), Kate Bush beauty (the fragile “Hearts”) and spare, Liz Phair-esque wordplay (the lovely “Hello Halo”), Die Young is rife with the handclaps, hooks and heart of an unabashed modern pop record.  It’s a woozy, precarious highwire act, but Die Young establishes itself—and, by extension, Blair—as a warm and encyclopedic rush of rock ‘n pop, one that’s capable of being both smart and full of depth without sacrificing either for its kaleidoscope of hook-laden pop charms.  This is witty, emotive smart-pop that anchors itself with you for days at a time—the music of Die Young does a lot of things in its impressive 44 minutes, but living up to its title (thankfully) isn’t one of them.

Listen to “Hello Halo”

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February 4, 2010 | Filed Under Album Reviews, Exclusive Features | Leave a Comment  |

Mixtape #35: L.A.’s February Residencies Mix

Every Wednesday, Web in Front will be offering up a digital mixtape, comprised of whatever happens to be floating through my head and ears at the time–great local music (including exclusive unreleased tracks from our Featured Artist Interviews), old favorites and oddball obscurities; also featured will be mixes made by some of our favorite Los Angeles musicians, along with the stories and explanations behind their picks.

As was the case in January, February 2010 is providing showgoers with a slew of excellent month-long residencies throughout Los Angeles:  Princeton at Spaceland (Mondays), Useless Keys at the Echo (Mondays),  Red Arrow Messenger at the Bootleg Theatre (Mondays), Gamble House at the Silverlake Lounge (Mondays), Mia Dia Todd at Spaceland (Tuesdays), Roll the Tanks at the Silverlake Lounge (Tuesdays), Ferraby Lionheart at the Bootleg Theatre (Tuesdays), and Imaad Wasif at Spaeland (Thursdays).  Whew.

And, as we did in January, Web in Front is offering up a mixtape of the bands (both headlining and supporting) that we’re most excited about seeing at said residencies throughout the month.  It’s not comprehensive by a long shot–just a rundown of some of our favorites, from Aushua to Casxio to Imaad Wasif to Letting Up Despite Great Faults.  Tracklisting and song info after the jump.  And be sure to keep an eye out for Residency Diaries by Gamble House beginning next week.

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February 3, 2010 | Filed Under Exclusive Features, Mixtapes | 2 Comments  |

Podcast: Beck live @ Coachella (5.1.04)

IRM, the just-released album by Charlotte Gainsbourg (but written and produced by Beck) has thrown my ears for a loop over the past few weeks–not only is it a fantastic slice atmospheric pop, IRM is also the best album that Beck’s created in nearly a decade.  Not since 2002’s staggering Sea Change (one of our favorites of the decade) has the junk-drawer pop fetishist written such a powerful or energized work, nor seemed so committed to the artwork at hand.

As such, I’ve been revisiting the Beck catalog recently, including this mesmerizing live show, recorded at his hastily assembled, last-minute set at Coachella 2004.  Originally scheduled to drop in on another artist’s set, Beck was eventually given his own due to a groundswell of internet buzz and hype, and so the oddball troubadour found himself in a small tent next to the techno kids, and surrounded by a gargantuan mass of fans that spilled out from the tent in all directions.  It’s a disarmingly off-the-cuff and intimate acoustic performance, with no set list or plan–Beck simply asked the crowd what they wanted to hear, as well as playing a handful of cover songs by Big Star, the Kinks, Daniel Johnston and Korgis.  It’s a pleasant and lovely reminder of what Beck can accomplish as an artist, and is well worth a listen.  Podcast and setlist after the jump.

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February 2, 2010 | Filed Under Featured Media, Podcasts | 1 Comment  |

New Video: The Happy Hollows – “Death to Vivek Kemp”

Directed by local photog Ben Hoste, the video for the Happy Hollows‘ “Death to Vivek Kemp,” quite possibly the best pop moment on their excellent debut, Spells (our favorite LA album of 2009), does what we imagine is a pretty accurate job of capturing what the world looks like inside charismatic and charming frontwoman Sarah Negahdari’s head.  It’s a dizzy sugar-rush of imagery, and a perfect companion to the song’s giddy swoons.

Also of note: the video is currently on the ballot to be entered into MTVu rotation–simply vote here (as many times as you’d like) to help spread the word (and the sound).

February 2, 2010 | Filed Under Featured Media, New Videos | Leave a Comment  |

New Tunes: Shadow Shadow Shade (formerly Afternoons) – “Dark of Heather, Pale of Fern”

As reported by Buzzbands, and explored in fascinating detail in the L.A. Times, the band formerly known as Afternoons is now Shadow Shadow Shade.  And, as a preamble to the band’s upcoming six-song EP, Shadow Shadow Shade has released the epic, multi-part rumble and ruckus of “Dark of Heather, Pale of Fern,” a moody slice of slowburn theatrics that dovetails nicely into the band’s trademark rollercoasting vocals and big-hearted melodic swoons.  Definitely worth a listen or two (or twenty).

Also, be sure to catch Shadow Shadow Shade when Web in Front presents their first show of 2010 (and their first gig with the new moniker) on February 12th at Spaceland–keep an eye out for free ticket giveaways to the concert in the coming days.

Stream “Dark of Heather, Pale of Fern” (via Myspace)

February 1, 2010 | Filed Under Featured Media, Music News, New Music Preview, New Tunes | Leave a Comment  |

Residency Diary: The French Semester, Part Four

Residency Diaries are exactly what they sound like: the thoughts, musings, and scribbles of rock bands as they host a series of month-long shows in various Los Angeles venues.  Last  month’s R.D. entries were from the French Semester, whose Guided By Voices-meets-Lou and the Velvets lo-fi popscapes could be heard every Monday night for free in January at the Echo.

By Riaz Tejani (vocals/ guitar)

In this final installment, we want to do a couple of things. First, the show was, as expected, wonderful. Some out of town guests, lots of new faces, and a whole lot of now-familiar folk. The four consecutive weeks gave us a chance to get to know all the people who came back night after night, and  we salute those heroes for their stamina and support.  The night was clear and warm, and we couldn’t help recognize how, despite fierce rains throughout the month, each of our Mondays cleared up allowing safe passage to those who ventured out.

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February 1, 2010 | Filed Under Concert Reviews, Exclusive Features, Residency Diaries | Leave a Comment  |

Podcast: Radiohead live @ the Henry Fonda Theatre (1.24.10)

Please remember why Radiohead performed this 24-song set at the Fonda in the first place, and do a good thing with the links below.  Podcast and setlist after the jump.

Oxfam Haiti Relief Fund

Feed the Children of Haiti

Network For Good Haiti Earthquake Relief

WorldVision Haiti Earthquake Relief

Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund

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January 28, 2010 | Filed Under Featured Media, Podcasts | 32 Comments  |

New Video: Local Natives – “Airplanes”

The Mark Waring-helmed clip for Local Natives’ “Airplanes” takes the collage-heavy aesthetic of the band’s debut album artwork and applies to a bizarre but lovely travelogue through a crumbling mansion.  Given the album’s title–Gorilla Manor, out 2.16.10 on Frenchkiss Records–it’s all rather fitting.  And be sure to pick up the album when it drops–Gorilla Manor is one of the strongest debuts these ears have heard in ages.


Airplanes

Local Natives | MySpace Music Videos

January 27, 2010 | Filed Under Featured Media, Music News, New Music Preview, New Videos | Leave a Comment  |

Mixtape #34: “I Think We Need More Post-Coital and Less Post-Rock”

Every Wednesday, Web in Front will be offering up a digital mixtape, comprised of whatever happens to be floating through my head and ears at the time–great local music (including exclusive unreleased tracks from our Featured Artist Interviews), old favorites and oddball obscurities; also featured will be mixes made by some of our favorite Los Angeles musicians, along with the stories and explanations behind their picks.

Today’s mix is split right down the middle–the first ten tracks consist solely of songs released in 2010 that have been been playing in endless repetition between my ears, ranging from new sounds by Los Campesinos! to Besnard Lakes, from the Drive-By Truckers to Phoenix covering Bob Dylan in his wild mercury mode.  The other half is a random smattering of older songs which have nonetheless been holding equal court in my head, demanding constant playback everytime I get near anything that plays mp3s, CDs or vinyl–look for tracks by Hope Sandoval (a 2008 compilation-only gem that’s truly breathtaking), Blur and Archers of Loaf, along with cameos by such hotshot locals as The Western States Motel, Shadow Shadow Shade (formerly Afternoons), Robert Francis, Silversun Pickups and Foreign Born.  Tracklisting and song info after the jump.

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January 27, 2010 | Filed Under Exclusive Features, Featured Media, Mixtapes | Leave a Comment  |

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