Local indie synth band Tic Tic Boom! take to The Viper Room's stage to wow a Sunset Strip crowd with their newly discovered penchant for a more Passion Pit-esque feel. Leaving behind some of their former punk gusto and embracing a slower tempo that is more synthesizer friendly, Leilani Francisco and Mike DeLay are now making music that grabs the attention of not just L.A.'s Sunset Strip crowd, but also its eastside faction. With catchy, quirky hooks belted by Leilani and Mike's heavily layered production - Tic Tic Boom are hoping their DIY efforts turn some heads in 2011.
We are running a giveaway for tickets on our twitter and facebook pages - and you can also RSVP to the facebook event here - http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=186469588045511 The door price is $5 and everyone who comes for Tic Tic Boom! will get a copy of the EP with their attendance. You can check out a sneak peak download of their track "Just Friends" which is on the EP.
With another local synth based group, Odd Modern, providing support - the night should be filled with indie hipsters indulging in some electrified sounds. Odd Modern gives away all of their music for free at www.oddmodern.com. Check out this Odd Modern video featuring Steve O below:
Support Haiti by going to the Bootleg Theater tonight to see Vanaprasta, John Carpenter, John Isaac Waters and Mariah McManus. The musicians are donating their services - and you should donate your $$$. On top of the intimate show - you'll get a complimentary download card of the To Haiti With Love Compilation for your time, money and effort....so it is well worth it.
Sideways Media ladies Nicole and Mary will be in the house, you can expect to see Mr. Kevin Bronson of Buzzbands L.A. and I also believe the lovely ladies of Planetary Group may be there too. It's going to be one of the better indie hipster hangouts of the night - complete with hipster publicists and bloggers - so if you're in a local L.A. band you might consider going just to mingle with some of our local music voicesm and support your fellow local talent, Vanaprasta.
As I'd mentioned in the Concert Blast, the funk is pretty wicked this weekend in Los Angeles. Tonight we get a dosage of that stuff from Budos Band at El Rey Theatre.
"Up From The South" is my favorite song of theirs, although it is an older one. Not only is it funky and good - but it was the theme song for the NFL network a few years back - and that only made me love it more.
IAMSOUND Records presents the Mondrian Sessions tonight, and many other nights, in conjunction with a host of other cool sponsors (KCRW, Fader, Guitar Center...)
The event hosts special guest DJs all the time and better yet, good talent from 8 to midnight. The series begins with Francis & The Lights tonight before going on hiatus for a few weeks, so if you'd like a sneak peak at what the scene might be like for the rest of the Skybar Poolside Performance season at Mondrian.
I began my 2011 year of music as I've done the past four years - with a business trip to board Jam Cruise. Making its ninth voyage, Jam Cruise is like Bonnaroo on a boat or late night Jazzfest on a boat, or more likely something in between those two and being backstage. Its like a long extended recess for adults that love music. Its like dying and going to heaven if you love funk music.
Departing out of Ft. Lauderdale on Tuesday January 4th - it seemed I'd sail through the first week of the year in a funky festive atmosphere on Jam Cruise 9. Big Sam's Funky Nation were scheduled to open up the Cruise Kick Off Party on the Pool Deck at 6 pm as the sun set.
However, the trip didn't start off all fun in the festival sun. Waiting for the 2,000+ paying customers preparing to board the MSC Poesia at Port Everglades were Broward County Police, Drug Enforcement Agents and Border Patrol officials, along with a handful of drug and bomb sniffing dogs. While I thought it was a beefed up response to the six arrests they made of people disembarking last year - it turns out a passenger's ex-girlfriend ratted him out and the authorities were out in full force on the disgruntled mates tip-off.
The upset girlfriend didn't just get her ex boo thrown in the slammer - in total 15 would-be Jam Cruise passengers were arrested at the port for possession of mostly "small quantities" of various types of substances. Thankfully, I did not know any of them. Canines did not board the boat (unlike what had been reported) - but canines did confront passengers as they brought their bags through the customs facilities and suspicious people were vigorously searched.
After the customs riff-raff and the arrival of baggage, passengers again got comfortable and Cloud 9 Adventures staff and MSC crew prepared us for life on our supremely oversized floating funk-raft.
Big Sam's Funky Nation inaugurated these years festivities with some masterful trombone and a personality that felt as large as the boat.
Robert Randolph & The Family Band followed up the Funky nation in the Teatro Carlo Felice - for the first indoor show of Jamcruise 9. Rocking amazing Randolph tunes and a submarine funk level version of "Thriller" - The Family Band made sure Jam Cruise rookies got an early taste of the boat's magic.
Although I was not torn about missing Scaring The Children (Bob Weir, Rob Wasserman & Jay Lane) - when I had to pick between Pimps of Joytime and Anders Osborne with Stanton Moore and Carl Dufrene, it was a battle. A brief stint at Pimps ended when I heard the easily distinguishable Stanton Moore stand-up snare hit. Osborne, the gritty bearded Southern-rock impresario, and Galactic's Moore channeled the nights energy into very flavorful southern funk rock anthems with support from Dufrene and friends, including George Porter Jr.
Karl Denson's Tiny Universe closed out the night on the Pool Deck - playing tunes from "Brother's Keeper" and earlier albums. Before hitting the cabin for the night, I did give a peep at Stockholm Syndrome and Dave School's heavy bass.
Day 2 started with the faint tunes of Cornmeal's bluegrass creeping through my balcony window. Unfortunately, I didn't make it up to the deck until Perpetual Groove's Brock Butler took stage - displaying his signature singer freestyler jam songwriter swagger. Standing tall above the crowd in the pool - Butler delivered 45 minutes of solid tunes until Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars paraded through and carried his crowd away with them.
Sierra brought a pretty tribal element of music that has not often been heard on board the Jam Cruise voyages. It was a pleasant shift on a gorgeous bright day. Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk followed the All Stars - reminding everyone that the boat may be a place to discover new musicians and new types of music, but it has been and always will be captained by funk.
Guitar heroes and fans got a special treat in the early evening as Zach Deputyplayed during sunset bleeding right into the supergroup, Some Cat From Japan on the pool deck. Opting out of seeing more shredding, I chose to go to the Atrium to see Marco Benevento lay down some improvisations on a grand piano. The keys specialist did not disappoint. Benevento's fluidity made me forget I was taking an interlude for food before Galactic, The New Mastersounds and Lettuce.
Of the three - Lettuce definitely brought things the hardest. The botched version of "Move On Up"
Lettuce had me so funked up, I needed to go to sleep and get ready for our arrival in Honduras the following day.
Day 3 began on the island of Roatan, Honduras. I'm not sure what Roatan is known for - but I'd been once before, checked out the beaches and was happy to just meander through town to a very close beach and enjoy the sand. So did some other Jam Cruisers. I sat by the bay, looked at the sky and avoided thinking about the work that was undoubtedly piling up back home.
From a beautiful day in the sun, I watched the MSC Poesia sail away for what I thought would be the best night of music on the boat - Stockholm Syndrome, Lettuce, Big Gigantic, Garage A Trois, Lettuce, Lotus, Big Sam's Funky Nation. All capped by George Porter Jr. playing host in the Jam Room.
Day 4 our port was Costa Maya, Mexico. Opting for the adult recess activity - I played no holds barred kickball with a handful of other Jamcruisers. 3 strikes and you're out (w/ foul ball rules). 3 outs you switch sides. Anything else goes - tackling, moving bases around, stealing shoes, etc. Oh yeah, and no limit on the number of people in the outfield and NO limit on the number of drinks. You can imagine how much fun we were having. It was team Sleepers vs. Team Up All Night.
Against better judgment I tasted from the handle of tequila being passed around and before I knew it I was doing 40 on a golf cart on a Mexican highway. I guess that's why they only let us dock in Costa Maya for 7 hours...
Sailing away to the sounds of Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears put me in a delightful mood - which was only perpetuated by Karl Denson's Tiny Universe and The New Mastersounds. Unfortunately, all the day drinking activity and pool deck fun had me tuckering out early and after some Big Gigantic and a little bit of Jam Room - I was captain toast.
Jam Cruise 9's final day at sea brought a full day of music, kicking off with The Pimps of Joytime on the pool deck.
As the day went on , there as a lapse in the funk (during ALO and Nathan Moore), but then Anders Osborne took stage with George Porter Jr. and Johnny Vidacovich - and ultimately being joined by Leo Nocentelli. The powerhouse of jazz greats continued as their southern rock funk session bled into overtime before Maceo's Super Jam.
From the Maceo Parker led Super Jam, I went to the casino and then on to see my favorite super band, Garage A Trois go jungle punk funk at the Zebra Bar. GAT left no stone unturned - bringing out massive music from their three albums and a handful of covers too.
As Garage A Trois finished - I darted to catch the final hour of Robert Randolph & The Family Band on the pool deck. I'm so glad I did because I stumbled on Cornmeal doing a cover of Talking Heads' "Naive Melody" on the way.
When I finally did get to Randolph, not only did Randolph do his best rendition of Hendrix, but he also remarked about how the boat was the best trip he had ever taken in his life. Each year a musician says that, and it warmed my heart to hear those words come from Mr. Randolph's mouth. Even cooler that I was hearing the music while tossing one back with Eric from Lettuce!
Disembarkation luckily did not have as many procedural issues as boarding, nor was there as massive of a customs presence. The less intense re-introduction to society was necessary after 5 days of backstage festival mayhem. The looks on all the departing passengers faces showed a mixture of emotion - but all had one constant - a look like they couldn't wait to do it again next year.
The hard to stick into a definitive genre Swedish group jj dropped a holiday gift on the inter-world last week with the release of their KILLS mixtape.
While the name is not one that has shaken American Billboard charts, jj holds its weight on the internet. Their sonic landscape, which includes ambient tones, hip-hop influences and an awareness of what makes pop music pop, draws listeners from a variety of crowds and genres. Stoners may be familiar with the group from their debut album's cover art - a stamped cannabis leaf. Europeans may be familiar with jj because they are more popular there. Web crawlers probably heard about No. 2 sometime since its 2009 release. But, if you're not familiar with jj yet - peep the mixtape.
The mixtape music is easy to listen to in the background while you're working - but isn't club ready or for cruising LA highways (in my opinion). A bit too slow/ambient for that - with "Kill Them" perhaps being the exception.
