Kristen’s ’11 Mix – Track 1 – The Milk Carton Kids

The New Year is almost here. The season of year end mixes is upon us! My mix is a reflection of MY 2011, containing the tracks and artists that had an impact on me, regardless of when a song was released. For those who want to know about how my year went, I have accompanying stories of why each track was chosen. For those of you just trolling for inspiring new music, I’m sure you can find that too!

Enjoy!!

1. “Michigan” – The Milk Carton Kids

 

I believe that Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale are the most inspired pairing since Paul Simon met Art Garfunkel. This year, my favorite duo made it official and christened themselves a “band” with the name The Milk Carton Kids. Along with the christening, they released an album, Prolouge. “Michigan” is the first track on the album and it took me a solid week to listen to the rest of the CD because I couldn’t move past this song! This year, I saw The Milk Carton Kids at every opportunity. Their unique combination of sad, yet beautiful tunes with gut-busting banter and deadpan humor makes for a show experience unlike any other.

 

 

~ Kristen

Amanda’s SD Concert Calendar 12/19-12/25

I just finished making a pasta salad and cheesy mashed potatoes for a family holiday dinner tonight. I wonder how much more food I can get before I really expand….   Can you believe Christmas is on Sunday? That means the new year is right around the corner!

Since it’s the holiday week the show schedule is quite light. I won’t complain since it gives me time to shop and wrap gifts!

 

Monday: Pinkback @ Belly Up @9 $20
AND: Wendy Bailey @ Ruby Room @8 $4

Tuesday: Give some music to a friend

Wednesday: Finish shopping!

Thursday: Skyline Union @ Tin Can Alehouse @9 $5

Friday: Writer @ Soda Bar @9
AND: Cash’d Out @ Belly Up @9 $16/$18

Saturday: Last minute present wrapping!

Sunday: Merry Christmas!

 

Keep in Mind:

December 27th- Cracker @ Belly Up @8 $20/$22
December 30th- Get Back Loretta and The Burning of Rome @ Casbah @930 $10
December 31st- The Silent Comedy and Transfer w/The Creepy Creeps, The Heavy Guilt, Low Volts, and more! @ Mississippi Room $25-$40
January 11th- Milk Carton Kids @ Anthology
January 22nd- Wilco and With Denim @ House of Blues
February 3rd- Mute Math @ 4th & B
February 10th- Young the Giant @ Soma
February 23rd- Ra Ra Riot @ Belly Up @8 $18

Amanda’s SD Concert Calendar 12/12-12/18

Well the holidays are knocking at our doors and it seems like we were just having some summer fun. I can tell you that the holidays bring wonderful holiday shows to our lovely San Diego area. I myself was part of the media crew for 91X and was at Wrex the Halls both days. When I wasn’t shooting some video or stills, I was watching bands like Cage the Elephant (my personal fav), Florence + The Machine (from the side sage!), Naked and Famous, Mutemath (headstand on a piano just because), Blink 182 (Travis Barker is amazing!!), Pennywise, Switchfoot (super fun), Death Cab for Cutie (watched Ben Gibbard do a drum breakdown from side stage), and soooo many more bands! It was wonderful and magical as always. Never thought I would have the opportunity to do such great things!

But enough about me! What’s this week have in store?

 

Monday: The Boxer Rebellion and The Beautiful View @ Casbah @9 $14
AND: White Wives @ Soda Bar @830 $8
AND: Jingle Ball w/Christina Perri, Parachute, and Scars on 45 @ Anthology $20-$295
AND: Megan Combs @ Ruby Room @830 $4

Tuesday: The Filthy Violets and Italian Japanese @ Casbah @9 $5
AND: Dinosaur Jr. and appearance by Henry Rollins @ Belly Up @9 $26/$28

Wednesday: Deas Vail, Sick of Sarah, and The Midwinters @ Soda Bar @8 $8
AND: Echo Revolution and The Get Down Automatic @ Casbah @9 $5
AND: Stripes and Lines and Manzarek- Rogers Band @ Belly Up @9 $28/$30
AND: The Beautiful View @ Bar Pink @9

Thursday: The White Buffalo, River City and April Ventura and The Magnolias @ Casbah @9 $12/$14
AND: Skyline Union @ Tin Can Alehouse @930 $5
AND: Dead Winter Carpenters @ Lestats @8

Friday: One I Red CD Release Party @ Eleven @9 $6
AND: Unwritten Law @ Belly Up @9 $20/$22
AND: Cuckoo Chaos @ Soda Bar @830 $8/$10
AND: The Styletones @ Bar Pink
AND: Lessons From Zeke @ Griffin @9 $5

Saturday: Endoxi and Gary Hoey @ House of Blues SD @8 $20-$37
AND: Love and A .38 @ Griffin  @9 $5

Sunday: Rest up for some holiday shopping!

 

Keep in Mind:

December 19th- Pinback @ Belly Up
December 30th- Get Back Loretta and The Burning of Rome @ Casbah @930 $10
December 31st- The Silent Comedy and Transfer w/The Creepy Creeps, The Heavy Guilt, Low Volts, and more! @ Mississippi Room $25-$40
January 11th- Milk Carton Kids @ Anthology
January 22nd- Wilco and With Denim @ House of Blues
February 3rd- Mute Math @ 4th & B
February 10th- Young the Giant @ Soma
February 23rd- Ra Ra Riot @ Belly Up @8 $18

LMN Band Exam: Vanaprasta

If you have yet to see LA indie rockers, Vanaprasta, dominate the stage at The Satellite during their November residency, you have two more opportunities (tonight/11.21 and next Monday/11.28). Don’t miss out!  Over the last year or so, I’ve watched this band really come into their own and with the recent release of their album, Healthy Geometry, they have become one of the most buzzed about bands on the local scene.  What amazes me about this band is the depth and energy of their tunes and the visceral impact they can have on an entire audience (we can call it the Vanaprasta effect). Witness for yourself. Monday nights in November. 11pm.

We wanted to get to know the band a bit better, so we had them take our Band Exam. Here are the responses we got from Steven (Vocals/Keys), Collin (Guitar/Vocals/Keys), Taylor (Bass/Vocals/Keys), Cam (Guitar) and Smiley (Drums)

 

Multiple Choice:

Favorite superhero: superman, batman, spiderman

Smiley: Batman for sure.

Favorite subject in school: math, science, history, recess

Steven: SCIENCE

Vacation destination: beach, mountains, moon

Steven: MOON

No-shave November: I’m in!, nooo way, what?

Cam: I’m in!

 

Fill in the Blank:

If I were a character from The Wizard of Oz, I would be__Toto (Taylor)___.

My karaoke song is       The Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil” (Collin)  .

One weird talent/skill no one would expect from me is    I’m a helluva driver (Steven)   .

Two words to describe Vanaprasta’s November residency at The Satellite   Chick Central (Cam)   . 

 

Essay/Short Answer:

If you weren’t rockin’ out as a musician, what would be your ideal job?

Smiley: I guess if I wasn’t the multi-millionaire mega rock star that I am…I’d want to be Walker Texas Ranger. He’s s real American hero in my book. Not a fan of Chuck Norris but Walker Texas Ranger, now that’s a guy with his priorities straight. I guess I would want to be a (walker) Texas ranger.

What does Vanaprasta mean to you?

Taylor: To me, it means “a moderately sized moat surrounding a cottage or shack.”

Tell us a story about one of the songs off Healthy Geometry

Collin: G- is a special song for me personally because it was a song I wrote on acoustic guitar about 2 or 3 years before VANAPRASTA even existed. When I first got a chance to hang with the guys and we were just kind of jamming songs that we had written I started playing G-.  Cam and I had done very little guitar playing together at the time but as soon as he started jamming to it I was like “shit, that’s it!”.  I must have played that song with a million different people and lots of people had cool takes on the song but for some reason Cam’s parts struck a chord in the song I didn’t really ever see.  This song also helped Steven’s voice develop into more of a rock singer.  Overall I think the song taught us something about our sound and what we were capable of which I try to never forget.

 

 

~ Kristen

New Band Alert: Wires in the Walls

 

I’m not sure how many of you have heard of the band Wires in the Walls but if you haven’t, you definitely need to look them up.

As their bio states, this LA-based quintet explores a textured space between Americana, anthemic indie rock, austere post-punk, and pop. Since the band’s formation in 2009, they have played many of LA’s top venues and toured the east and west coasts, with their well-received 2010 EP “Call Signs” receiving local and national college radio play. Wires in the Walls takes a hands-on DIY attitude to their promotion, including the screen printing of all of their own merchandise.

Wires in the Walls spent 2011 writing and recording their debut full-length album New Symmetry, which was released on October 25. New Symmetry expands on the traditional Americana trappings of their previous recordings, and is the first to feature the two newest members of Wires in the Walls. The first single from the record, The Ringer, debuted April 2011 alongside the B-side Soft Shirt.

Wires in the Walls is: Warren Sroka (vocals/guitar – NYC), Nick Tracz (bass/vocals – upstate NY), Bryan King (drums/horns – Virginia), Dave Irelan (guitar/vocals – Oregon), & Dave Sicher (everything – Illinois).

I should also add that LMN is presenting their show THIS SUNDAY ( Nov. 20th) at Lot 1 with Holy Rolling Empire and Sunken Ships. Be sure to get out there and check them out. Oh, and you can come say hi to us too!

Here’s what you need to like, follow, and generally keep track of important goings-on:

website
facebook
twitter 

 

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 11/14-11/20

Greetings from Philadelphia! I’m out east having a blast catching up with friends and some of my favorite local bands. Last night I was reminded of how much I love The Pawnshop Roses. You should all check them out. (http://pawnshoproses.com/pawnshoproses.com/Home.html)

As much as I love being in my old stomping grounds, I’m a bit upset at not being in LA Monday. Why do all these amazing shows have to occur while I am not there? I guess I should be grateful that I don’t have to choose between Empires at the Satellite, The Silent Comedy at Bootleg, and Harper Blynn at Bardot. I’ll leave that choice up to you. I am also devastated that I’m missing out on Augustana at The Hotel Cafe Tuesday night.

Fortunately I’ll be back by Sunday for a super cool show that WE ARE PRESENTING at Lot 1 with Wires in the Walls. More on that later. For now, just mark your calendar!

Here’s what else is happening this week:

Monday: Empires at Origami Vinyl (6pm)
ALSO: Empires and Vanaprasta FREE at The Satellite (9pm)
ALSO: Jack & White, Terraplane Sun, Little Hurricane, and The Silent Comedy FREE at Bootleg Theater (8pm)
ALSO: It’s a School Night at Bardot featuring Greg Holden and Harper Blynn (10:30)…FREE with RSVP
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm)
ALSO: Fun at The Troubadour (9pm)

 

Tuesday: Augustana at The Hotel Cafe (10:30)
ALSO: Brett Hite at the W Hotel (8pm)
ALSO: Bird by Bird at Silverlake Lounge (10pm)
ALSO: So & So at The Viper Room (8pm)
ALSO: Beachwood Night FREE at Piano Bar (8:30)

 

Weds: Harper Blynn and Schuyler Fisk at The Hotel Cafe (9-12)
ALSO: Kyle Nicolaides, The Stone Foxes, and Armada at The Viper Room (8:15, 10:15, 11:45)

 

Thursday: Noel Gallagher at UCLA’s Royce Hall (8pm)
ALSO: Marketa Irglova at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Amber Rubarth at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)…record release show
ALSO: Lady Sinatra at The Viper Room (9:30)

 

Friday: Noel Gallagher at UCLA’s Royce Hall (8pm)
ALSO: Wires in the Walls at O’Brien’s (10pm)
ALSO: Jones Street Station at The Hotel Café (midnight)
ALSO: Cold War Kids at The Troubadour (10pm)

 

Saturday: Semi Precious Weapons and Indians at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Milo Greene, The Belle Brigade, and The Civil Wars at The Wiltern (7:30)
ALSO: Jones Street Station at Bootleg Theater (10pm)

 

Sunday: Wires in the Walls at Lot 1(8pm)
ALSO: Tony Lucca at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)

 

To Keep in Mind:
November 29th: Rachel Yamagata at The Troubadour
December 2nd: Fair to Midland at The Troubadour
December 2nd: Allen Stone at The Echo
December 2nd: Priscilla Ahn at The El Rey
December 2nd: Camp Freddy at The Roxy
December 6th: The Postelles and Maniac at Bootleg Theater
December 9th: Camp Freddy at The Roxy
December 14th: Deas Vail at The Roxy
December 16th: Camp Freddy at The Roxy
December 16th: Oh Land at The El Rey
December 16th: Hotel Café Christmas Party night 1
December 17th: Hotel Café Christmas Party night 2
December 23rd: Camp Freddy at The Roxy
Feb. 2nd: Mutemath at Club Nokia
March 9th: William Fitzsimmons at The Troubadour
March 13th-18th: SXSW (Austin, TX)

 

~ Kristen

 

http://twitter.com/#!/_localmusicnat

Amanda’s SD Concert Calendar 10/31-11/6

Happy Halloween to all and to all a Happy Halloween! I hope you all are having a spooktacular Halloween (sorry, I couldn’t resist)! I’m actually staying in this year. I must be sick because I love Halloween. I suppose after being in Vegas for Halloween last year, coupled with all my recent travel, a night in is what I crave. Perhaps I’ll put on a movie and eat some candy tonight. But that shouldn’t stop you from getting out and about!

 

Monday: Deer Tick, Guards, The Kaabs and Low Volts @ Casbah @9 $15
AND: Josh Damigo’s Acoustic Bash @ House of Blues @6

Tuesday: The Barr Brothers @ Anthology @7 $10-$26

Wednesday: Minus the Bear and The Lonely Forest @ Soma @730 $25
AND: Simple Plan, Forever The Sickest Kids, The Cab @ House of Blues SD @7 $21-$35

Thursday: Mayday Parade and You Me At Six @ House of Blues SD @7
AND: Pretty Too Bad @ Belly Up @8 $8
AND: Family Wagon @ Soda Bar @9 $10

Friday: The Burning of Rome @ Soda Bar @9 $5
AND: Josh Damigo and Fierce Creatures @ The Griffen @9 $7
AND: The Heavy Guilt, A Scribe Amidst the Lions, and Short Eyes @ Ruby Room
AND: April Ventura and The Magnolias and Dark Thirty @ Eleven @9 $6

Saturday: The Parlotones, Scattered Trees, and Skyline Union @ Casbah $12

Sunday: Jesse LaMonaca @ Bar Pink @9

 

Keep in Mind:
November 7th- Purple Melon and Kevin Martin @ Casbah $8
November 8th- Mattson 2 @ El Dorado
November 8th- Heavy Glow @ Belly Up @8 $8
November 9th- Ra Ra Riot @ Belly Up @9 $18
November 11th- Thrice @ House of Blues SD
November 12th- Dead Feather Moon, The Get Down Automatic, and The Heavy Guilt @ Casbah
November 14th- HoneyHoney @ Soda Bar @830 $10
November 16th- The Dirty Heads with Gym Class Heroes @ House of Blues SD
November 17th- The Sounds @ Soma @7
November 20th- Newfound Glory @ House of Blues
November 22nd- Morrissey @ Escondido Center for the Arts
December 3rd- Little Hurricane @ Casbah $14
December 10th- The Chris Robinson Brotherhood @ Belly Up
December 19th- Pinback @ Belly Up
January 22nd- Wilco and With Denim @ House of Blues
February 3rd- Mute Math @ 4th & B