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LMN Band Exam: Vanaprasta

Posted on by Amanda

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

Posted on by Amanda

 

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

Posted on by Kristen

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

Posted on by Amanda

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

Amanda’s SD Concert Calendar 10/24-10/30

Posted on by Amanda

You know, waking up today with a gloomy sky made me think I was still on the east coast. Sadly, my alarm to get up for school today reminded me otherwise. I had a fantastic and most memorable trip. It was lovely to be on the east coast not in the dead of winter for once. I wish I was still out there but sometimes, you need to come back to the real world. Maybe. Alright, who needs the real world? Oh wait, the real world has shows. Hmmmmmm.

 

Monday: David Cook and Gavin DeGraw @ Humphrey’s By The Bay
AND: The New Kinetics @ Casbah @9 $8

Tuesday: He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister @ Casbah @9 $8/$10
AND: April Ventura & The Magnolias @ Soda Bar @9 $7

Wednesday: Manchester Orchestra, White Denim, The Dear Hunter, and Little Hurricane @ House of Blues SD @730 $17-$51

Thursday: Patrick Norton @ Eleven @9 $6
AND: Jamuel Saxon @Soda Bar @830 $8
AND: April Ventura & The Magnolias @ Lestats @8

Friday: The Donkeys, Cuckoo Chaos, and Bully @ Casbah @9 $8 adv/$10 day of
AND: The Burning of Rome @ Ruby Room @9
AND: 91X Boo’s Cruise w/ GroupLove and Grand Tarantula on Hornblower @730 $25/$30

Saturday: The Nervous Wreckords and Republic of Letters @ Casbah @9 $10

Sunday: Matt Nathanson @ House of Blues SD @730 $23-$40

 

Keep in Mind:

December 31st- Deer Tick, Guards, The Kaabs and Low Volts @ Casbah @9 $15
December 31st- Josh Damigo’s Acoustic Bash @ House of Blues @6
November 2nd- Minus the Bear and The Lonely Forest @ Soma @730 $25
November 2nd- Simple Plan, Forever The Sickest Kids, The Cab @ House of Blues SD @7 $21-$35
November 3rd- Mayday Parade @ House of Blues SD
November 5th- The Parlotones @ Casbah $12
November 7th- Purple Melon and Kevin Martin @ Casbah $8
November8th- Mattson 2 @ El Dorado
November 9th- Ra Ra Riot @ Belly Up
November 11th- Thrice @ House of Blues SD
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

Amanda’s SD Concert Calendar 10/10-10/16

Posted on by Amanda

It’s Monday? Really? Where did the weekend go? It was such a blur but a pretty awesome weekend nonetheless. My weekend was punctuated with some sadness when my favorite band The Academy Is… announced they were breaking up. It made me doubly sad because I was planning to catch them on the west coast leg of Jack’s Mannequin tour but alas, no such luck. Thankfully, that was remedied by a music video shoot with The Silent Comedy yesterday.

But anyway, let’s look at the calendar for this week!

 

Monday: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Hotel St. George @ Belly Up @8 $6
AND: Megafaun @ Casbah @9 $12

Tuesday: Fountains of Wayne @ Anthology @7 $10-$24
AND: Boy and Bear, Matthew and The Arrogant Sea, and The Howls @ Soda Bar @9 $10
AND: Mattson 2 and Patrick Norton @ El Dorado @9
AND: Dropkick Murphys and The Silent Comedy @ House of Blues SD @7 $28.50-$43.50

Wednesday: Dropkick Murphys and The Silent Comedy @ House of Blues SD @7 $28.50-$43.50
AND: Katie Herzig and Butterfly Boucher @ Casbah @9 $10 adv/$12 day of
AND: Mister Loveless @ Soda Bar @9 $5

Thursday: Steve Poltz acoustic @ Belly Up @8 $16 adv/$18 day of
AND: Amber Rubarth and Chris Holmes @ Lestats @8

Friday: The Head and the Heart @ House of Blues @7 $17.50 adv/$20 day of
AND: Maren Parusel and Sundrop Electric @ Whistleshop @10
AND: Gregory Page @ Lestats @8

Saturday: Hoodang Festival feat. Louis XIV, Mr. Tube and the Flying Objects, Endoxi, and more @ Santa Ysabel Casino @11am $30
AND: Vonda Shepard Trio @ Anthology @730 $10-$42
AND: Chris Pierce @ Anthology @930 $11-$27
AND: Josh Damigo @ Lestats @8
AND: The Drums and IO Echo @ Casbah @9  $12 adv/$14 day of

Sunday: The Naked and Famous @ Belly Up @9 $15
AND: Hillcrest Hoedown with Heavy Guilt @ Ruby Room @2

 

Keep in Mind:

October 17th- AWOLNATION (reschedule) @ Belly Up @9
October 17th- Foo Fighters w/ Cage the Elephant @ Viejas Arena
October 19th- Foster the People @ Soma @7 $25
October 21st- Blackout Party, Grand Tarantula, and Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels @ Casbah @9 $10
October 23rd- Anna Nalick @ Anthology @7 $10-$26
October 24th- David Cook and Gavin DeGraw @ Humphrey’s By The Bay
October 26th- Manchester Orchestra @ House of Blues SD
October 28th- The Donkeys, Cuckoo Chaos, and Bully @ Casbah @9 $8 adv/$10 day of
October 30th- Matt Nathanson @ House of Blues SD $23-$40
November 2nd- Minus the Bear and The Lonely Forest @ Soma @730 $25
November 3rd- Mayday Parade @ House of Blues SD
November 5th- The Parlotones @ Casbah $12
November 7th- Purple Melon and Kevin Martin @ Casbah $8
November 9th- Ra Ra Riot @ Belly Up
November 11th- Thrice @ House of Blues SD
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- Jason Mewes Kevin Smith @ Belly Up
December 3rd- Little Hurricane @ Casbah $14
December 10th- The Chris Robinson Brotherhood @ Belly Up
December 19th- Pinback @ Belly Up

New Music Tuesday 9/27 featuring Tony Lucca, Mariah McManus, Jake Newton, Switchfoot, etc.

Posted on by Kristen

Tony Lucca– Under The Influence

Tony Lucca has been one of my favorite singer-songwriters for many years now. I had no idea he had a new CD in the works until yesterday…I feel a bit shamed. Since Mr. Lucca has moved out of LA, I don’t see him play as often, so I’m not even sure I’ve heard any of these new songs! Obviously, I will be obtaining the CD as soon as possible. Tony Lucca is one third of the TFDI triad (Tony Lucca, Matt Duke, Jay Nash). He is taking a bit of a break from the TFDI tour, but will be back out on the road with the boys in October for the Pittsburgh show.  Don’t miss out on this tour. It is magical.

You can buy Tony’s new CD on Itunes or amazon 

Here’s Tony with TFDI singing one of my favorite songs of their album, When I Stop Running (incidentally one of my favorite albums of the year).

 

Mariah McManus– Nice to Meet You 

I first saw Mariah McManus when she was fronting the rock band Glare of Rockets.  I was blown away by her voice, especially at such a young age. I was very excited when I heard Mariah was embarking on a solo project and releasing new material.  I’ve been listening to her tracks off of her facebook page for weeks and I’m a bit obsessed.  Mariah is going to take the music world by storm using her unique and enchanting voice to win over anyone who listens. This is a must get album for me. Take a listen at the free stream from aol music. Download her first single “Say It Again” on her website. Come to her CD release party tonight (9/27) at The Hotel Cafe.

Buy Nice to Meet You on Itunes

 

 

Jake Newton– Kill The Past

Jake Newton is a singer-songwriter currently living in Los Angeles…mostly at The Hotel Cafe.  Jake is part of the next wave of  Hotel Cafe artists following in the footsteps of artists like Cary Brothers, Sara Bareilles, Greg Laswell, etc.  After what I would call a highly successful Pledge Music campaign, Jake Newton is finally ready to release his full length album, Kill The Past. I pledged to his campaign a while ago and have been keeping up with the whole process of this record so I am particularly excited to finally have it available. Come join me Friday night as Jake has his record release party at The Hotel Cafe. Also playing that evening is Keaton Simons so it will be a good one!

You can get the new CD on Amazon or Itunes.

 

 

Switchfoot– Vice Verses

Switchfoot has had an impact on my life ever since I got a hold of The Beautiful Letdown which I still believe is one of the greatest CDs in my collection. Then a couple of years ago, I was again impacted by a live performance of Switchfoot’s “Hello Hurricane”. I am looking forward to hear what new tunes this San Diego based group has put forth in their new album, Vice Verses. Then I would highly recommend checking them out on their co-headlining tour with Anberlin (another great live band). They are in LA October 11th at The Wiltern.

Get the album on Amazon or Itunes.

 

Other CDs I’ll be looking into today:

  • Will Hoge- Number Seven
  • Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa – Don’t Explain
  • LeAnn Rimes- Lady and Gentleman
  • Kasabian- Velociraptor
  • Carolina Liar- Wild Blessed Freedom
  • Hanni El Khatib- Will The Guns Come Out
  • VHS or Beta- Diamonds & Death
  • Nneka – Soul Is Heavy
  • New Order – Power, Corruption, & Lies
  • Duke Spirit- Bruiser
Happy New Music Day!!
~ Kristen