Ok, I’ll admit it, I haven’t been a hardcore fan of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World for years. I saw the trailer a couple months ago, thought it looked interesting and sounded familiar. In time I recognized Scott Pilgrim mainly from from geek conversations and a string of tweets from my local West Hollywood nerdery @meltdowncomics. Finally a couple weeks ago just before the TV trailer melee began I was able to read all 6 of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s books and they were nothing short of life-changing. His storytelling style is a multi-layered ADD blend of vintage video game humor and indie rock kitsch set against the background of the amazing maple mecca of Toronto. Needless to say I laughed my ass off while it burrowed it’s way into my heart. It’s not that often where you can read something that you just “get” and you feel like in some way it gets you back. So of course I’ll be seeing the movie on opening night Friday, August 13.
Chris Shiflett (of Foo Fighters and his new project, Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants) will be playing an acoustic set on THIS Sunday the 30th at The People’s Concert for Winograd. The benefit is at the Venice United Peace Center (2210 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, CA) map and he plays around 9pm.
The self-titled debut album from Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants will be out 7/13 on Le Coq Napoleon/RCA.
More info on Chris Shiflett can be found on his Facebook.
CONTEST TIME! Jimmy Gnecco of Ours will be performing May 15th at the Empty Bottle in Chicago and we want to send you and a friend there! All you have to do is name the first single off of Ours’ 2001 release Distorted Lullabies. Send your answer to contest@avanttrash.com and you’re our winner! Must be in Chicago on Saturday May 15 and 21+.
Seriously, if you don’t have any mayjah plans this weekend, there is something fundamentally wrong with you. The irony is that I will not be attending any of these-work travels take me elsewhere. Shall we begin?
You might remember this first band from my balls-to-the-wall interview with them on their tour bus back in January. Well, motherfucking Semi
Precious Weapons are back in town, this time without Mother Gaga as headliners at 4 US show dates in L.A., Chicago, New York and Boston during a brief break on the Monster Ball tour.
They have their full-length album (You Love You) debuting in June on Geffen. These show are
not to be missed. I’ll only repeat myself once. Two times. NOT TO BE MISSED. For serious. Breaks my little black heart that I won’t be there tonight. You think that their dates on the Monster Ball were some bullshit debauchery, you just wait till they’re on their own. This show is going to be bananas and I for one am slightly pissed I won’t be able to witness them in all their glory.
Catch them TONIGHT at Subterranean-doors at 7, but do yourself a favor and get there in time to catch Nico Vega. If you’re not convinced, take a gander at their video for their single, ‘Semi Precious Weapons’ and scream that shit or you might get hurt.
According to some Greek myths, redheads turn into vampires when they die.
Yeah, so this might look like a repeat post. That’s because it’s the same event intr0vert posted a couple weeks ago, only in CHI-TOWN this time!
So Melissa Auf der Mar-sexy redhead of Hole/Smashing Pumpkins fame is celebrating her new multimedia release Out of Our Minds (OOOM) with two events – a live performance at Beat Kitchen and screening of her short film at the Chicago Art Department.
Friday, April 23rd
Venus Zine & Chicago Art Department present MAdM Out of Our Minds Short Film Screening
6 PM @ Chicago Art Department
1837 S. Halsted
Saturday, April 24th
Venus Zine presents MAdM Out of Our Minds Album Release Party
w/ Panther Style
9:30 PM @ Beat Kitchen
2100 W. Belmont Ave.
Did you know that redheads require 30% more anesthetic to be sedated?
Tonight at The Viper Room in West Hollywood, Melissa Auf Der Maur (Hole, Smashing Pumpkins) releases her 2nd solo record Out Of Our Minds (out April 6th) and you can join me there for FREE thanks to BMI and Filter Magazine. She will also be screening the accompanying short film for OOOM at the Silent Movie Theatre tomorrow. For both events just RSVP HERE and enjoy the show!
Tuesday, March 30th
BMI & FILTER Magazine present MAdM Out of Our Minds Album Release Party
w/ Juliette Commagere and Night Horse 8 PM @ The Viper Room
8852 West Sunset Blvd.
Thursday, April 1st
BMI, Cinefamily & FILTER Magazine present MAdM Out of Our Minds Short Film Screening
7PM @ Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre
611 N. Fairfax Ave.
Unlike intr0vert, I will not be going to SXSW. Instead, I have to live vicariously through my co-author, who will actually be a part of the action with KAV. So I put together a short list of the bands I’d like to see, were I actually going. I have pretty great taste in music, so if you are lucky enough to be going, you should check them out.
Neon Trees: These electro-punk rockers from Utah have an album (‘Habits’) coming out this month. Their single, ‘Animal’, and it’s accompanying video caught my attention for the following reasons: I love handclaps. I am envious of their style and hairdos. Their drummer looks like the hipster love-child of Sarah McLachlan and Samantha Malone. Their shit makes me shake my ass. These are all really good reasons. You must watch this acoustic version of ‘Animal’, it really shows their versatility. They’re coming to Chicago next month with 30 Seconds to Mars, and if I’m lucky enough to get to see them live, expect a review/interview.
Living doll Janelle Monáe will finally be releasing her “debut” album The ArchAndroidon May 18 of this year. I know, that seems pretty far in the future, well, that’s how Cindi Mayweather rolls. Fret not, she has released two tracks “Tightrope” (f/Big Boi of Outkast) and “Cold War” which you can preview on her website and will be touring this spring. Prepare to be inspired if you haven’t seen or heard Ms. Monáe live, I’m convinced she’s a cyborg. No mortal woman can dance that hard and sing so pitch-perfectly…unless it’s actually Prince in drag.
Janelle Monáe Spring Tour MARCH
15 Washington, DC Black Cat
17 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s
18 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s
21 San Francisco, CA Café Du Nord
22 San Francisco, CA Café Du Nord
23 Los Angeles, CA (Buy Tix) The Viper Room (see you there!)
24 Los Angeles, CA (Buy Tix) The Viper Room (see you there!)
29 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
30 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
31 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
APRIL
2 St. Andrews Detroit, MI
5 Smith’s Olde Bar Atlanta, GA
6 Smith’s Olde Bar Atlanta, GA
9 Joe’s Pub New York, NY
10 Joe’s Pub New York, NY
Happy Hearts Beneift for Haiti WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10
BOOTLEG THEATRE 2220 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA
(free parking behind Praise Christian Church)
$15, 18+ (Buy Tickets)
The Fold presents… a Benefit for Haiti featuring:
PETE YORN
TIM KASHER (Cursive)
CRAIG WEDREN (Shudder to Think)
+ Special Guests
The event will be hosted by the hilarious NICK KROLL(The League), DAVID WAIN(The State, Stella) and NICHOLAS SHUMAKER and more. Proceeds go to benefit Happy Hearts, an organization that specializes in secondary response efforts.
I think it would be a drastic conflict of interest to slurp on a friends band and make an out and out recommendation for you to be into them, so I won’t do that. I’d like to preserve the little bit of integrity I have left so I will instead tell you with absolute honesty that of all of the regular bands that I see on the strip (and I see A LOT of bands on the strip), one of very few that I actually enjoy seeing at least once a month is Lady Sinatra. Their own brand of Rock & Roll is as hard, fast and loud as it is difficult to pin down directly. I sometimes swear that I hear a bit of Motörhead in the backbeat mixed with a bit of that indefinable Sunset Strip sound. The musicianship is tight and the swagger is loose. If you’ve got a girl that likes to strip then put on “Girl, You’ll Be A Trainwreck Soon” off of their 2nd album Hisses & Kisses and let her do her thing. The band (@LadySinatra) was at one point giving away a free download of the record in exchange for a Tweet, but that offer may have expired. It’s still available through iTunes.
Lead singer and head of Loose Fang Records, Bunny Holliday recently sat down with evergrowing institution The Real Sunset Strip w/Scheff and The Hawk for the short interview/artist profile above (shot by photographer Andrew Herrold) which should give you a taste of their sound.
But to catch them in action they’ll be playing Monday February 15th at Crazy Girls Gentleman’s Club (Sunset & LaBrea) in West Hollywood with Sink To See and brilliant newcomers Jacuzzis (fb event). Full Disclosure: I’m playing that show, too. But if you haven’t seen Lady Sinatra in on their home turf at The Viper Room then you just haven’t seen them in their destructively natural habitat. Read the rest of this entry »
Fresh off performing with the tonally impaired Taylor Swift and legend Stevie Nicks at Sunday’s Grammy ceremony, Butch Walker and his new band The Black Widows…which I’m kinda guessing is at least 70-100% of his regular touring moppets The Let’s Go Out Tonites are set to releaseI Liked It Better When You Had No Heart on February 23rd with a handfull of Pre-Order options now-available including a tongue-in-cheek $25,000 option which will get you a limited personal friendship with Mr. Walker. Head to Butch’s website to check out the various legitimate options. If you dig the record I suggest you purchase the vinyl version which comes with a cd for your digital fix and will be released a full 2 weeks earlier on next Tues Feb 9th.
A sold out record release show is set for Tue Feb 23 at his usual spot The Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. More tickets have already been released but it of course sold out immediately. Starting March 4 Butch will embark on a string of dates with Train to support the record (which you can preview below, dates listed after that). I know I speak for a lot of my friends who have been fans of BW since either The Marvelous 3 days or his early solo career when I say, “Butch! We love you, you make great music but please, please, please MAKE A HUGE OVER-THE-TOP ROCK RECORD PRONTO AND TOUR THE SHIT OUT OF IT!”
In L.A. you are encouraged not to acknowledge a celebrity’s existence —certainly don’t say anything to them, that’s what tourists do! It’s understandable why. After all we are all human beings who wish to be rewarded for our deeds but allowed our personal freedoms including the right to peace and privacy. But I’ll have been a citizen of the The City of Angels for 3 years come Valentine’s Day (romantic I know) and I don’t give a fuck what you say, if I want to talk to someone regardless of who they are…I’m gonna. Of course even I have my rules and standards. You never, ever bother a famous person with their kids or at dinner…EVER! And I want it very clear that I’m not trying to bother anyone just because they are famous. It’s ALWAYS about WHAT they do, which is why they are famous to begin with unless they are a non-celebrity like cast members of The Hills*. I’m not going to say something unless I really have something to say. Problem is, you always think of something to say out-of-the-blue 5 minutes later. Fortunately this afternoon. I had just such a 2nd chance.
You should know that I have an EAGLE-EYE for personalities. Some people just have that “glow-of-importance” to them. Maybe I can subconsciously observe their aura. I know that sounds ridiculous.** I have no real explanation for it. When I first moved to California my inner dialog after a quick glance at someone was always, “That person looks a lot like _________.” only to realize at 2nd glance that it most likely was that person, just doing whatever. I’ve learned now to accept that it probably is that person as it proves true more likely than not.
Last March I recommended Echo Park dance troupe/electrosiezure We Are The World as a band “You Should Know” and really, this recommendation is for your own good if you feel that music needs an artistic boost removed from the cult of celebrity currently seized ahold of iTunes. Finally the Echo Park quarted have made a hauntingly spectacular video for standout track “Clay Stones” in anticipation of their first release, a single of the song available today via IAMSOUND (still saying pre-sale). The Vinyl will be out 2/23 on Manimal.
And as I’ve said before if you get the chance to catch their kenetic live show (of which they play very few) consider yourself very lucky. Their myspace page indicates an upcoming February residency here in Los Angeles but a venue has yet to be revealed. Rest assured I will be making as many trips to Silverlake/Echo Park this month as necessary.
Hey! I’m back in my homestate somewhere in middle America and I’ve been hanging out with a lot of people who really want to come visit me on the coast but with money tight don’t really have that luxury. Behold a solution (of sorts)! Lauren Scheffand The Hawk host a show via UStream calledThe Real Sunset Strip LIVE from The Roxy Theatre. It’s a great chance to see what goes on during a typical Saturday night in the musical heart of West Hollywood that spawned bands like The Doors, Van Halen, Motley Crue and Guns N Roses.
Speaking of which, former GNR/Velvet Revolver/The Cult drummer Matt Sorum, a regular fixture of the strip, even stopped by a few weeks ago to chat with the guys about the glory days of The Strip (video below). Other recent guests have been Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray), Harry Perry, B-Real from Cypress Hill and Tattooed Millionaire to name very few. Other regular guests and skits from Scheff & The Hawk include bartenders, managers, drunks and misfits from various other Sunset Strip institutions like The Viper Room and The Comedy Store. You’ll probably see me pop-up there every now and then.
Check out the show! Join the Ustream chat sometime and make Twitter and Facebook friends with The Real Sunset Strip!
I consider myself a pretty bigButch Walker fan. After meeting him after a festival with The Marvelous 3 in 1999 I’ve followed his career intensely. All the while mystified because for the life of me I just can’t understand how this guy isn’t bigger than all of the artists he writes & produces for?
Butch is in the midst of a series of shows in LA, NYC, Chicago and hometown Atlanta where he’s dedicated each night to one of his specific solo records. During his November residency at The Hotel Cafe in LA I caught the first night where he played the 2004′s Letters (still my favorite BW solo effort) with his entire biker gang in tow.
February 2, Butch will release his 5th solo album, Groundhog Day: The AlbumI Liked It Better When You Had No Heart on VINYL! With a regular CD/Download dropping Feb 23…but you should probably get a record player anyway.
He’s calling his new band The Black Widows which seems a bit forced in an Is-Ryan-Adams-Starting-A-Death-Metal-band? kind of way. But I’d imagine it opens up a lot of possibilities for his graphic designer. Butch can do no wrong by me, bring it!
Old Canes is the work of Lawrence, KS native Chris Crisci (of The Appleseed Cast). The band has an eclectic indie-folk sound with lush instrumentation reminicent of Band of Horses or Sea Wolf. His most recent album Feral Harmonic was released on 10/20 through Omaha’s Saddle Creek Records. A limited edition set of HANDMADE CD & LP packaging is available. You can download an MP3 of “Trust” from Feral Harmonic here.
I highly recommend getting to the show by 9pm to see LA up-and-comers Sol Giant & I Will Never Be The Same. Drink specials kick in just as Old Canes takes the stage…the perfect Sunday!
Recently signed to Perez Hilton‘s label and even more recently signed to a huge deal with Interscope, New York glam punks SEMI PRECIOUS WEAPONS are a quartet of handsome gents burning high energy Rock N’ Roll that will sting your ears and tease your nethers. It’s danceably infectious AC/DC-meets-Rocky Horror swagger has been lighting up clubs for the past 3 years with fabulously filthy/gorgeous frontman Justin Tranter tearing up stages and after parties like a platinum-blond transvestite GODZILLA!
“I GOT A DIAMOND IN MY POCKET AND A GUN IN MY PURSE SCREAM SEMI PRECIOUS WEAPONS OR YOU MIGHT GET HURT!”
Rounding out the group is the unstoppable trio of Dynamite Drummer Dan Crean, Wig-Afficianato Guitarist Stevy Pyne and Bass Beast Cole Whittle using every inch of every stage at every show. As an exception to the rule, typically you would find an act that rocks this hard and dirty and looks this good to be light on real musical talent but SPW actually met at the prestigious Berklee College of music in Boston.
“STICKY WITH CHAMPAGNE, THAT’S OK IT’S HER BIRTHDAY!”
SPW will be doing 2 shows at The Viper Room in November: Friday the 13th & Wed the 25th. An excellent review of a trio of shows at The Viper Room last July can be found on their blog. A recent interview by Sunset Strip Ambassador and Buzzfinder Brent X. Mendoza with Lead Singer and Daytime Jewlery Designer Justin Tranter (Fetty) can be found @ TheSunsetStrip.com.
“HER HAIR, HER HAIR, HER HAIR IS ON FIRE! SHE DON’T NO WATER LET HER FUCKING HEAD BURN!”
Semi Precious Weapons are currently recording their follow up to 2008′s We Love You with Jack Joseph Puig in Los Angeles and will be opening for Lady Gaga on The Monster Ball Tour (LA Shows @ Nokia Dec 21-23).
