Celebracione!

Need I say more? Here are some songs to celebrate a generally happy week. And when I say celebrate, I mean listen to cool music. In addition to a wonderful trip to NY that included some fun stops in the old LES stomping grounds (Pianos, Arlene's Grocery & more nostalgic waterholes), a lot's happened in just the few days since I've been back in LA. Don't know if you checked the news recently, but it's been kind of a good few days for the whole country.

So last night, I barely escaped one of the most wretched places on Earth: The House of Blues in Anaheim, CA. Located inside Downtown Disney, the venue features overpriced parking, overpriced House of Blues Chicken Tenders, and overpriced Adios Motherfuckers (aptly renamed something involving the word "Blue" that escapes me). It also features the type of clientele that thinks all of this is awesome. Why did I choose to navigate this sea of horrors? Well, I got a free invite to see She & Him, so I figured it would be worth it. Despite the atrocious opening set by Lavender Diamond (honestly, so bad that I feel guilty for naming "Open Your Heart" one of my favorite songs of '07), it was indeed worth it. Consisting of actress Zooey Deschanel and veteran musician/producer M. Ward, She & Him emerged late last year and instantly carried more credibility than any Hollywood vanity project in history, thanks to the simple fact that the songs are actually good. Luckily, the two of them also are born performers, and last night, showcased a hell of a lot of charisma to match the charming tunes. Despite the fact that she faced down hecklers shouting "The Happening sucked!" (which, honestly, was kind of hilarious), Zooey worked the crowd and came off like a pro (and obviously a hot one at that), especially when only her and M. Ward were sharing the stage. I had heard some of their music before last night & liked it, but had never dove in headfirst. The show sealed my admiration for the duo, as I realized their songs have longer legs than I first suspected. The music's not Earth-changing stuff, but it's catchy and more than worthy of a listen:

She & Him - "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?"

My anticipation for the Killers' Day and Age is growing each week. Something tells me this one might be something special. Again, that might just be my man-crush for Brandon Flowers talking, but I think the new studio leak of "Spaceman" (the live version debuted on 'SNL' a few weeks ago) proves that there's reason to get excited. Despite the dark, anti-melodic tone of Sawdust's B-sides, the band seems to have reversed hard in the opposite direction, creating pure dance-rock, with emphasis on the "dance". Whatever your opinion of the band, you can't deny they can craft a seriously addictive hook. And if for some reason you can deny that, check out the song below.

The Killers - "Spaceman"

For those wishing to party like it's 1993 comes Abbot Kinney, a new band that (despite its ocean-side name) has been making waves on the East LA circuit for a while now. Their sound is unique to the Angelino scene; belonging neither with the art rockers emerging from downtown, nor the easygoing hipsters of Silverlake. Despite the fact that the 80s revival is somehow still trucking (The Killers, Crystal Castles), with a step back to the psychedelic 70s on its tail (MGMT, Beach House), Abbot Kinney has decided to move the jam session forward a few years. The band invokes a sound that culls from early 90s college radio, with The Pixies and "Pablo Honey" era Radiohead as specific influences, though the guys could hardly be called a throwback group, as they check the irony and self-sympathy of Generation X at the door. In its place is an Obama-era (an awesome and only slightly cloying thing to type) earnestness that showcases "emotion", while never succumbing to that word's first three letters. The band has thus far released a small batch of demos, which, while not yet polished, have still presented a wide variety of sounds and a startling maturity for such a new band. No EP is available for wide distribution, but you can check out some of the band's songs right HERE, and I'm sure you'll be hearing a lot more from them right here in the near future.


Abbot Kinney - "Hope View"

Bringing back the early 90s in their own way is New Zealand's Cut Off Your Hands, who invoke the spirit of shoegazy acts like Catherine Wheel and My Bloody Valentine without letting the music get bogged down in the dreamy reverb. The songs propel themselves forward with lightening pace, and despite being labelled "power pop", they carry a considerable edge. They've just completed work on their first LP, You and I, and while it doesn't yet appear to be available on i-tunes, it's worth visiting Ameoba (or if you're in New York, Other Music) to snag. It's a brilliant debut for a band that will hopefully catch on in the US as well as they have back home.



Cut Off Your Hands - "Happy as Can Be"