Last night after a shoot on the UC Irvine campus, I was met with the distant promise of blistering guitar licks and the steady pulse of drums echoing across the campus. I pictured college kids jamming in some social center, but as I got back to my car, it was pretty clear where the sound was coming from. I drove my car in an upward spiral for five floors and found a small crowd around Marvelous Mike and Doug Marvelous, who together form The Marvelouses.
I admire the “F@(# it, we’re parking the Integra right here and rehearsing” spirit. For a parking garage, the sound was better than most clubs I’ve patronized, and there’s nothing like a two-piece that can sound like a full band. Mike’s got quite a handle on that axe, and Doug’s right at home in the pocket. Extra credit for replacing the rack toms with a tambourine. I think the next step is to plug in a mobile recording rig up there and do the album.
One of the highlights of my career this year so far was staging the fourth annual Bach Remix at The District, a nightclub and venue in Eugene, Oregon. My partner in this endeavor was a friend from graduate school, PhD candidate DJ Food Stamp, a.k.a. Andre Sirois.
DC-based These United States are one of the best honest working bands alive, and they’re in California this week. After a gig at the Hemlock Tavern tonight in San Francisco and The Starry Plough tomorrow in Berkeley, they’ll make their way down to Los Angeles on July 9 at the Echoplex.
If you haven’t seen them yet, Angelenos, catch them next Thursday. Their last journeys through found them at Echo Curio and the popular Hunnypot Radio, and the Echoplex might be an ideal club to get cozied up inside their jangly railyard wordpop. The core of the band is lead singer and songwriter Jesse Elliott and utility instrumentationist Tom Hnatow, traveling together for years and assembling a colorful cast around them. When they played Echo Curio, for example, I played melodica and harmonica, shaking hands with guys I’d never met on bass and keys before launching into their repertoire.
The magic of TUS starts with the songs. The magic continues with how they play them. Vis a vis, “Honor Amongst Theieves”:
I don’t know what they do down there, but Saturday Night Live has seriously got the worst sound ever in their live music segments. And thanks to folks like Ashley Simpson and Kanye West, their audio weakness has been in the news fairly recently. The things they lack as a music forum, though, are actually why I look to them as a litmus test for musicians. If you can sound good on SNL, you’ll sound good anywhere.
I remember seeing Pearl Jam on SNL in the early 1990s. They sounded as good on that accursed sound stage as they did on their albums, and I knew they’d sound as good live. It sealed the deal for me as a fan.
Hi guys, this will only take a second. If you were looking for a sign to tell you what to do tonight, you can go ahead and consider this as such. Come to Spaceland tonight to catch the LA-based Fitz & the Tantrums.
Available on iTunes, the debut EP, Songs For a Break Up, Volume 1, is beginning to end catchy blue eyed soul. Does it warrant the consistent comparisons to Mark Ronson’s vintage-idea-but-with-a-modern-value sound? Yes, but I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing. Apparently, the story behind this record is that it was recorded on one mic in a living room, though the clean mix appears to betray that anecdote, which (I think) means that each instrument has been laid down as an overdub. That is motivation, you guys.
It’s energetic pop music that isn’t saccharine, with the old soul of, well, the old soul music that you guys know I like so much. This band achieves something wonderful; the ability to make you want to spend your days playing the record in your car while you cruise with the top down and spend your nights dancing at their live show, while you ferry suggestive exchanges with the attractive person you have just met.
In fact, I went ahead and created this handy guide for you, loyal reader:
ANYWAY. Get there early, because the night opens with an artist you may remember from this very site, the wonderful Jenny O.
I played my junior high dance party mix for my friend Marcia today, and she responded by asking if I’d seen the flash mob video of people doing the Hammer dance in a clothing store. I had not, but now that I have, I must share it!
While we strive to feature new artists and breaking acts at Blue Comet TV, we can’t let this moment pass without paying tribute to the King of Pop. Some of my favorite Michael Jackson links since his untimely demise on Thursday:
• MJ finds his one-glove inspiration in a film-cutting room
• Web mashup spells lyrics to “Billie Jean” in live tweets: billietweets.com
• The beautiful roots of the Moonwalk:
And other voices sing Michael:
We Are The World - Seriously, this recording gives me chills. Specifically at about 1:50, every time. It’s sung by Marius Billy, an ethnomusicologist and musician in Congo whose mission is to preserve the life and culture of Central Africa’s Pygmies. Michael Jackson wrote “We Are The World” with Lionel Richie, and a supergroup of pop stars recorded it to benefit Africa. But to hear it sung by an African brings a dimension to it I never heard in the original. (download)
Billie Jean - If Billie Jean was tall and tan and young and lovely, the song would sound like this. This bossa take by Caetano Veloso takes you out of the ’80s disco and puts you sweating in Brazil. (download)
Beat It - My own acoustic recording of the seminal West Side Story dance-brawl soundtrack, from a project in 2006. Spoiler: harmonica is involved. (download)
Some of you may not think you know Jennifer Tefft, but if you’ve been to Spaceland, you’ve been to a show she’s booked. Jen is responsible for bringing your new favorite bands to LA, and probably giving your band a residency. Now you have the chance to repay her! Oh, what a wonderful world.
Organized to assist with the massive medical bills incurred during a hospital stay at the beginning of May, Kick Out the Clots is shaping up to be an amazing night with an impressive line up.
Set to go down at the Echoplex this Thursday, 2 July, the line up includes She Wants Revenge, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Ladies Club, Great Northern and more TBA. For your convenience, tickets can be purchased with the greatest of ease (!!) HERE.
After months of having little dough to spread around in music land, I was fortunate enough this weekend to be able to pick up a funny assortment of albums and songs I’m sure I’ll get a lot of pleasure out of this summer. I wanted to give you a run-down (and a mix tape!) here because I’m proud of my new acquisitions and I hope you’ll agree that they’re awesome.
#1: everything good all at once, the debut album from Fred Van Vactor.
I ran into Fred, a favorite of mine from the Eugene music scene, at my friend Ehren Ebbage’s wedding a couple of weeks ago, and I was delighted when he told me that his first album was almost ready to ship. Although the advance copy he sent me was not technically part of my shopping spree, I am loving it, and it inspired me to get more new-to-me music.
#2& #3: Off The Wall & Thriller, by Michael Jackson.
Michael’s death this week left me with mixed feelings, but I really teared up at the songs every station was playing from these two great albums. Now I can cry at home any time I like.
Live Shows, Music Videos, Second Stage, Video | rob getzschman | 
July 3, 2009 7:28 am | 
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