News: New Abe Vigoda Song, We Are the World Video, Plus Baths, What Laura Says, Big Search

Abe Vigoda, not throwing shade

Quick bloggy bits from around the L.A. underground (and up). Share ’em.

  1. FEATURED: Abe Vigoda Goes All ’80s On New ‘Crush’ LP*
  2. Baths Guest for Fol Chen Record Release at The Echo
  3. We Are the World channel Manson in New Video
  4. ‘Lambhair McDaniel,’ by Devendra Banhart Favorite
  5. Popieluch of Foreign Born and Fool’s Gold as Big Search

(all stories via West Coast Sound, via L.A. Weekly)

* The press release for Crush promises “glassy shards of ‘cold wave’ pop, with synthesisers, sequencers and altogether broodier beats.”

News Roundup: No Age, Sister Crayon, Tonalism, Free The Robots, Mishka, Host A Hoedown!

I’ve been neglectful. Terribly so. Below you’ll find some recent bloggins from the L.A. underground. Click on the links to get the full story, each of which hails from LA Weekly‘s growingly excellent West Coast Sound blog.

tonalism

Some old school Tonalism.

  1. No Age Debuts Songs On Daytrotter, Dean Reminisces
  2. Video Premiere: Sister Crayon’s “(in) Reverse”
  3. Dublab’s Ambient All-Nighter ‘Tonalism’ Headed To Portland
  4. MP3 Exclusive: Free The Robots, “Jupiter,” Forthcoming on Alpha Pup
  5. Mishka Opening To Feature A. Milonakis, Wavves, Best Coast [NSFW]
  6. Host An Indie-Folk Hoedown in Your Kitchen!

News Roundup: Abe Vigoda, Michel Gondry + Mia Doi Todd, Salvador Santana, Intuition + Al Bundy

Quick bloggy bits* from around the L.A. underground (and up).

todd and gondry

Mia Doi Todd in her new Gondry-directed video

  1. Abe Vigoda Leaks Demo, Tours With Vampire Weekend
  2. Exclusive: Salvador Santana’s “Don’t Do It”, Plus Michna Remix
  3. Watch: Gondry and Mia Doi Todd Make Human Rubik’s Cube
  4. Watch: Rapper ‘Intuition’ Pays Tribute to Al Bundy
  5. (all stories via West Coast Sound, via LA Weekly)

*If you like it, then you better put a tweet on it.

Trip-Out Tuesday: Psychedelic Visions from Red Sparowes

Quick bloggy bits* from around the L.A. underground (and up).

Durlin Lurt's 'Him Jenson'

  1. ‘Him Jenson’ Releases Wild Muppets Mixtape [MP3s]
  2. Dâm-Funk Making LPs w/ Steve Arrington, Nite Jewel [MP3]
  3. Trip-Out Tuesday: Psychedelic Visions from Red Sparowes
  4. And The Top Radiohead Benefit Donor Is… Dangerbird?
  5. ASKA of Moonrats Collaborates Flea, Spike Jonze
  6. (all stories via West Coast Sound, via LA Weekly)

*If you like it, then you better put a tweet on it.

Trip-Out Tuesday: Psychedelic Visions from Red Sparowes

INCHES006: New Wax from HEALTH, Mayer Hawthorne, and White Shit (+ MP3s, chart, video)

Another INCHES hit! #006 went up this morning (a day late — apologies), featuring a super-limited clear platter from HEALTH (Lovepump United), a vinyl-only release from the hardcore punk-rawk supergroup White Shit (PPM), and four inches of glory from Mayer Hawthorne. Not to mention, MP3s from all three, a video, and a fresh chart from Origami Vinyl.

HEALTH, Get Color

HEALTH, "Get Color"

Stay tuned for much, much more, and if you’ve got ideas, reach out.

INCHES001: Local revolutions w/ Mika Miko, Xasthur, Rx Bandits, Castledoor, Shafiq Husayn

I’m exceedingly proud to announce the debut of my new weekly vinyl column, “INCHES” on the LA Weekly music blog, West Coast Sound. The full title of the inaugural installment is “INCHES001: Local revolutions, pt.1 — five L.A. vinyl exclusives revealed and reviewed.”

This edition features five releases by L.A.-area artists on L.A.-area labels — Mika Miko (PPM), Xasthur (Hydra Head), RxBandits (Sargent House), Castledoor (Seven Inch Project), and Shafiq (Poo-Bah) — that either are not available on CD, or sport a drool-worthy design. A free MP3 accompanies each writeup, along with a photo of the package shot, for better or for worse, by yours truly.

Mika Mikos We Be Xuxa (PPM)

Mika Miko's We Be Xuxa (PPM)

Future installments will include up-to-date reviews of wax by L.A. artists and/or L.A. imprints, profiles on local vinyl shops and labels, cratedigger-curated selections, swap meet outings, and whatever else seems like a good idea at the time. If you haven’t clicked over there already, please do so here.

Q&A: Abe Vigoda uses more “choruses and stuff”

In the last year and a half, the particular din made by L.A.’s own Abe Vigoda — a steely, punky, happy sort of noise — has been emanating in ever-broadening swaths from Downtown’s renowned all-ages venue, The Smell. The quartet is currently on the road into August, supporting February’s Reviver EP (PPM). In this interview, guitarist Juan Velasquez talks about touring, the Vampire Weekend comparisons, and the band’s next album.

The entire band actually lives inside of the original Abe Vigodas left eyebrow.

The band actually resides inside of Abe Vigoda's left eyebrow.