Full Article here

One Trick Pony (photo by Zoe Ruth), Princeton (photo by Laura Heffington), The Sweet Hurt, The French Semester (photo by Olivia Hemaratanatorn), Sara Lov (photo by Paige K. Parsons), and Wait. Think. Fast.

Here’s “part two” of my latest installment of really awesome Eastside L.A. bands (see part one, in case you missed it). Please forgive the brevity, but there’s just so much amazing music going on out there, I want to mention as many as possible. As I become more familiar, I’ll do larger profiles and maybe review new music when it comes out. And certainly, if any of these guys make the cross-country journey to these parts, I’ll be sure to let everyone know! As always, if there’s anything or anyone I missed who deserves mention, please pass it along.

More great L.A. bands…

Part Two: Nightmare Air | One Trick Pony | Princeton | Sara Lov | Seasons | The Boxing Lesson | The French Semester | The Health Club | The Meeting Places | The Sweet Hurt | Wait. Think. Fast.

Nightmare Air

photo by Luke B Ford

Nightmare Air features Dave Dupuis (guitar, vocals) and James Smith (drums), both from Film School*, joined by Swaan Miller (bass, vocals). This wonderful trio brings forth surprisingly complex and layered psychedelic rock with a heavier punk vibe in places, distortion, and spacey atmospherics. They started performing together after Film School’s 2007/08 tour ended, and released their debut EP last December, supporting the release with some East Coast dates, including here in Boston at T.T.’s (yes, of course, I missed them. sorry about that. next time).

* P.S. And I realize now that I inadvertently left out Film School back in my last ’round-up’, who unleash a great heavy/spacey psychedelic onslaught which I’m guessing is even better appreciated live. Their latest release on Beggar’s Banquet was Hideout (2007), and they’re currently working on new material for release sometime this year.

MySpace | official site | Facebook | Twitter

One Trick Pony

photo by Zoe Ruth

Wow, what a beautiful sound these guys have… Randolph Williams III on vocals and guitar; Jenny Teixeira, drums and background vocals; and Charlene Huang on violin. Sometimes they’re joined by Josh Solberg, bass and trombone and Todd McLaughlin, banjo and background vocals. Incredibly pretty music and heart-tugging vocals from Randolph, a dreamy wistfulness that just pulls you right in. The simple loveliness of their folky sound provides a perfect counterbalance to some pretty powerful and heart wrenching lyrics:

Absent, absent, absent,
from the phonebook, from the frontline.
It’s been a long, long day.
One long day, one long day,
full of silent defeats.
Transmissions not received.
Don’t cry, baby, we’re just leaves.
- “Phonebook”

Their latest EP Full Of Life was released late last year. It can also be purchased on iTunes. They have a few other EPs available – Familiar (Live Sessions, 2009), Phantom Pains (2007), and A Walking Contradiction (2003), all available from their store. You can also have a look at their lyrics (thanks, guys!).

Check out the article and videos from the session we did with Elliot Glass.

Article Link

I met up with Randolph Williams III and the rest of One Trick Pony (plus a friend they decided last minute could do some shaker, piano, and backups) at their banjo player Josh’s house, nestled between faceless stucco apartments that could be anywhere in the city, but happened to be in Burbank. The house itself had all the characteristics of a Frat house – foosball table, empty beer cans, empty fish tanks, a cow skull, even the roommate with an excessive sound-system watching some terrible Michael Bay movie turned up so loud you could probably hear it across the street. The difference being, of course, that instead of old beer pong tables and ratty couches, the walls were lined with organs, stage pianos, a linear tracking turntable, and a (probably working, though completely obsolete) TV station switchboard.

After a few tall-boys, some shooting the shit, and waiting for the heat to dissipate (or at least, hoping it would), the six of them gathered around the living room and started to play. Immediately you can sense the joy and passion for what they’re doing, which gives a cohesion to the carefully varied instrumentation and melodies that are wonderfully unique yet subliminally familiar, tying in moments that can range from Sufjan Stevens to Andrew Bird to Radiohead. With Williams’ amazing voice, the smart and witty lyricism, and purposeful delivery that winds through sweeping arrangements and creative percussion, One Trick Pony is making some of the most exciting new music coming out of LA.

Not many bands would take the risk of having a friend who doesn’t play or practice with them jump in last minute on a live set like this, but this was right up One Trick Pony’s alley (they’ve been known to play stripped down / acoustic sets on a regular basis around LA, and they’re known for their energy and spontaneity). The night quickly digressed into playing foosball (even in the middle of a song), drinking, and ending with Randy getting a text message that they were listed on Pehrspace’s calendar for that night (which hopefully didn’t end up being true).

They played five ridiculously catchy tunes that night.

Find out more about One Trick Pony @ www.myspace.com/onetrickpony

Camera: Elliot Glass & Allen Kelley
Sound: Elliot Glass
All Rights Reserved. Member of Ocean.

BeatCrave presented a show with our friends over at I Promote Good Bands on Friday night at The Echoplex with Radars to the Sky as headliners and The Hectors, Rademacher, and One Trick Pony for an awesome lineup. As some of the bands in Los Angeles who have been making music for years, the night was filled with some fantastic sets and guest appearances. For those of you who missed out because of rain or Broken Bells, we’ve got a quick re-cap on the night and a great live photo gallery for you below!

Although they filled in last minute for Mississippi Man, The Hectors joined their friends in the lineup with quite ease and as an opener. With Corinne Dinner on vocals, it’s hard not to notice how different this band is from others who have a female as a lead singer. Dinner always manages to be more of a female version of Stephen Malkmus and Liz Phair combined than a tragic Gwen Stefani. The Hectors played a solid set making those dueling guitar lines a signature sound of theirs as they also premiered some new songs off of their upcoming album.

Next up was well-respected local band, Rademacher, who never fails to play an amazing set. It’s not a surprise when one can compare a local band to a band with such prestige as Talking Heads. Conversational tones among jagged guitar licks and tricky bass lines filled the room. Forget the fact that The Echoplex is dangerously spacious for a “small venue” on the east side. Even with a recent lineup change, it’s obvious these guys are not phased much by change, because apparently, change can be a very good thing. With Malcom Sosa as lead vocalist now, it’s nice to see how Radmacher has experimented with their sound.

Radars to the Sky, another beloved local band, took their place on stage not only as headliner but they took it with force and charm. Vocalist, Andrew Spitser, ironically wore a uniform shirt that actually said “Andy” on it as he hopped about on stage and eventually succumbed to the floor’s gravity in passion. Their schedule may have gotten a bit more sparse than usual, but this band’s presence undeniably pulls you in whether you’ve just walked in the venue or come back from the smoking patio. There is almost an intense Morrissey-like sense of regret in Spitser’s vocals and it’s only amplified as guitars riffs spiral and keyboards splash some substance within the crashes of rhythm that is magnificently going on during any one of their songs.

However, the night did not end with Radars to the Sky. As splendid as their set was, One Trick Pony took the stage to close out the show and it was nice change of pace and sound. Although a bit softer and organic in a sense, their set as a last band could have also qualified themselves as a headliner. Swooping melodies within vocals and violin simultaneously offered a classy air among the beats that drive any of their moody folk tunes. Pretty is an amateur’s choice of word when it comes to describing this band because the combination of Williams’ vocals and the powerful up-tempo songs is more than just pretty.

Last Friday I ventured out in the rain to see Radars to the Sky headline what seemed on paper to be a good show. I was wondering if the weather would get in the way or if people would brave the rain to see some good old-fashioned indie rock. To my surprise the kids did come.Radars_Callie_20

I walked in on the tail end of a great set by The Hectors. This seems to be the story of my life when connected to The Hectors. I always seem to walk in on the end of a set. That said they are one of the little known gems on the “Silver Lake” scene. They play such a great version of dreamlike airy pop that to me harkens back to the great bands like Dream Syndicate but with a healthy dose of distortion to give that almost MBV sound without all the pretension that comes along with sounding like shoegaze.

After a little schmoozing with some friends of other local bands and a couple of trips to the bar I was surprised by the band I saw next. It was Rademacher, but it wasn’t any version of Rademacher I had ever seen. Eli was still hitting the skins like a manic, but Malcolm, instead of his usual place behind his guitar pulling everything along like a ringmaster, was instead transferred to a new place behind bass. I joked to a friend that it seems at times you can trace the history and sound of this band by the complicated relationships that have been though it, but more on that some other time. The end result was a good set, but it seemed to lack the usual fire I expect to see from Rademacher. In good news I was told that this was Malcolm’s last show behind the bass and he is moving back to his rightful place on guitar.

A few beers and a couple of shots later I my engine was revving and I was ready to see what Radars to the Sky had to offer. I can say I was pleasantly surprised. Knowing they had parted with their long time bass player I was interested to see how they pulled this show off without him and how they would sound. It was great on all fronts. Drawing on not only on bands on the bill such as Rademacher and The Hectors, they also took members of The Monolators, Death to Anders and even a cameo from their very first bass player. Old songs like “Victoria” and “I Might” still had the same punch while holding onto the softness of singer Andrew Spitser’s vocal and lyrical delivery. At the same time the new songs from the upcoming album offer a glimpse into the new directions the band is capable of. I especially love the closer which has been finishing off sets for the last few months.

Oh, there was also a great cover of the Walkmen’s “The Rat” which just killed.

Finally after a smoke break that seemed to drag on forever where we spoke of religion and politics laughing in the face of traditional conversations I rambled inside to watch One Trick Pony. Not having seen them in easily two years or so I had no idea what to expect. I can say without hyperbole that their show floored me. This is a band that has come a long way from being a guy with a guitar to a fully fleshed out band with amazing compositions and a singer who belts out lyrics like they just might be the last words he ever says. The music was raw like an open wound exposed on the heart that you just can’t stop touching. At the same time there was gentleness in the delivery that spoke of maturity and maybe forgiveness. Then again maybe “looking for forgiveness” might be a better way of putting it. I would say my heart was completely stolen by Rob Danson’s amazing solo on what seemed to be a recorder. Anyone who can put that much sincerity into a recorder solo has to OK in my book.

All in all it was worth taking a cab in the rain to see some of LA’s finest true indie rock purveyors giving it all it was worth on a Friday night, and sure beats the hell out of sitting at home with the cat.

However, I do have a bit to say on the venue that is The Hotel Cafe. I still like this place, I truly do, despite the way it’s changed over the years. While it has still retained a few of it’s laid-back qualities that defined it as more of a “coffeehouse”-type place in it’s infancy, since becoming a more popular “scene” type of place, a lot has not changed for the better. (this was subtlety referenced by lead singer Randolph Pennyworth when he mentioned between songs “weathering that whole wave of douche outside”) I suppose it can’t helped, things change, especially when they become more popular. It still stings a little though.

Nevertheless,it was a fun show - lots new/newer songs (including some from the recently released album Full Of Life. Some crowd chatter present through to varying degrees (see text file for more info)

1.) Loose Talk MP3
2.) Phonebook MP3
3.) Masonry MP3
4.) Andrew Jackson MP3
5.) Get Over Yourself MP3
6.) Crepehangers MP3
7.) Children Pt. II MP3
8.) Diagonal Waves MP3
Text File

FLAC (loseless) files available upon request (by e-mail)

Posted by Recording LA at 12:05 PM

One Trick Pony - Full of Life - Absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful voice, beautiful lyrics, beautiful instrumentation. If I put it on it instantly changes my mood.

My Top 15 Songs From Los Angeles-Based Bands in 2009

1. Silversun Pickups - “The Royal We”
2. The Broken Remotes - “Boxer’s Arm”
3. Avi Buffalo - “What’s In It For Me?”
4. Parson Redheads - “You Can Leave It”
5. Nightmare Air - “Shock of the New”
6. The Henry Clay People - “Randy Where’s the Rest of Me?” (live)
7. Manhattan Murder “Mystery - “Your Mother’s Neck”
8. The Happy Hollows - “Faces”
9. Downtown / Union - “Wake Up Call From The Nexus of Me and You”
10. One Trick Pony - “Phonebook”
11. Warpaint - “Billie Holiday”
12. The Spires - Lowercase
13. Castledoor - “Shouting at the Mountains”
14. Correatown - “Green Cotton Dress”
15. The Monolators - “French TV”

What they say about the album:

“Quite possibly the most accurate album title of the year—this is an album brimming with life as it skips from one gorgeous example of everything right with indie folk after another. Seriously, if you can find a prettier song than “Phonebook” being performed in a local L.A. music club, I don’t want to hear it—this record has broken my heart enough this year as it is.”

The full list here.

Check out the latest playlist here.

Written: Nov 30, 2009
Web in Front

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 will be from the Happy Hollows, a band whose wild-eyed artpop bloodlust can be heard every Monday night in November for free at Spaceland (presented by Aquarium Drunkard and Buzzbands.LA).

By Sarah Negahdari (vocals, guitar)

Well, this was our fourth residency night, and if it was like most other residencies it would have been our last.  But for us, there is a fifth and final show this Monday!

The Fourth residency night was so awesome. We got there early and had our nice relaxed sound check with Staci. He is such an amazing sound guy, and we will really miss seeing him every Monday. He is a great engineer and a great person.

On this night I had a cold that Chris had earlier in the week, and I could barely stand up or talk, which made me really nervous about performing. Luckily, I saw Travis (of this fine blog you are reading) and he was very helpful and got me some whiskey to numb my throat!

Real Estate then took the stage. We were so curious to see if they would live up to their huge buzz. They totally did!!! They were incredible!!! They had beautiful, perfectly crafted songs, and it was such an honor to play with them. What makes it even better is that they are such grounded, kind, and cool guys. They are total sweeties, and I loved meeting and playing with them very much!!!

Then, a long time favorite of ours, Dios, took the stage. They are just mind blowingly incredible!!! Such amazing, thoughtful songs!!! Just brilliant and gorgeous, we were so incredibly humbled and honored to share the stage with these brilliant guys who we have looked up to as songwriters for so long.

Then we played and it was really fun. It was hard for me to sing this night, but the crowd was just so incredible and took away any pain I had!! It is such a dream come true for us to be playing in front of so many kind people who are receptive to our music. It really is a total dream come true, and I feel so thankful for this residency.

Then, One Trick Pony played, and they were beyond brilliant!!! We have known Randy Williams of OTP for years now, and I am continually blown away by his songwriting and talent. His full backing band was nothing short of heart singing genius to behold. I don’t know how he is not ridiculously famous, he is the very best. I couldn’t stop dancing, and it was great to see that most of the crowd actually stuck around to see them!!! Spaceland was almost full, and for a midnight band, that is great! It was really incredible, and capped off one of my favorite line ups we have ever played on in the history of the Happy Hollows.

Our last night has come, and after all the weeks of coloring, we will finally crown the champ of our residency poster contest, and give away the free guitar from DaisyRock!!

We are thrilled to have Traps ps open tonight!  This is Andrew Jeffords, my guitar hero, who has been playing with us this entire residency’s band!! Can you wait??! He is so incredible!!  Then we have The Pity Party!!! They are one of our favorite bands, not just of LA, but of the whole world!  Then we have Twilight Sleep closing the night!!! We cannot wait to see Tracy’s new band, she is so gorgeously talented, and we really are so thrilled and excited to have them!!!!

This residency has meant the world to us on so many levels. It felt so great to book so many bands we love. We are really proud of all of the bands who joined us, and feel humbled and honored to have played with them. We really love everyone who has been a part of this crazy month, everyone who came, everyone who helped us out. It has been really really fun!!!!

Love to you all,

Sarah
The Happy Hollows