Salı 11 Mar 2008, 16:15
Thursday, March 20th
The Gay Blades, Le Mue Le Purr, Stiletto Formal
7:00 PM, $10
From Jersey Beat: “The Gay Blades smother themselves in irony the way Iggy used to smear himself with peanut butter and broken glass…the Gay Blades appropriate classic American pop tropes – cocktail lounge saloon songs, cock-rock riffarama, singer-songwriter angst – all to advance their own nefarious ends. Sure it's catchy, even pretty at times. But these MySpace-jiggering subversives are out to destroy rock and roll by embracing its shmaltziest extremes; the harder they croon, the less they mean it. Don’t believe a word they say. And if you find yourself singing along, leave the room immediately. You have been warned."
Thursday, March 27th
The Dirty Diamond, Fish Circus, Raw Sugar
8:00 PM, $10
The Dirty Diamond story begins like so many bad Hollywood movies… their eyes met across a crowded cafe, filled with out-of-work actors, despondent drug-addicted models and faux intellectual screenwriters, all seeking shelter from the tepid LA winter. Adam was a rambler and Sam was a roller, but their mutual love of rock created an instant bond. Together they formed a collective orgy of guitar love and along the way, their twosome grew into a threesome with the addition of Liverpool-born drummer Chris. Within months they had cut their first self-titled album using a cast of additional guest musicians. The music is raw, emotional, good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll without a smidgen of emo or indie embellishments. Sam's rough, honest vocals and strong lyrics pay tribute to early Southern rock, the blues and classic rock. For all the classic influences of their sound, it never once feels vintage, and their innovative musicianship wins through to create something thoroughly modern.
Sunday, March 30th
Houston Calls, National Product, the Prisoner’s Dilemma, Building Rome in a Day, Curt Phillips
7:00 PM, $10 advance, $12 day of show
Rushmore recording artists Houston Calls are a rock ‘n’ roll superpower designed to conquer America one small town at a time beginning with Sullivan, Illinois and ending with Allendale, NJ. Hollywood, too, is kind of a small town in its own way, don’t you think? They combine elements of earth (Okie), fire (Josh), wind (Jarrett), water (Chitty), and heart (Jose) to make for their very own sound. Most of all, they love playing music, and nothing can change that.
Wednesday, April 2nd
City Sleeps, Take the Crown, Good With Grenades
7:30 PM, $10
City Sleeps, the newest addition to the Trustkill roster, comes fully armed with powerful melodic hooks, the soaring vocals of front-man Ely Dye and a knack for writing adrenaline-fueled rock songs meshed with the grit and technicality of post-hardcore. Hailing from Atlanta, GA, the band had started as City Sleeps a little over two years ago. Touring nationally and building a buzz from the underground up, the band had turned the ears of some heavy industry types who began courting the band early on. A stunning example of this is when City Sleeps was contacted by John Feldmann, the multi-platinum producer who had discovered such bands as the Used and Story of the Year asking to work with them. Even before securing a label, this pro-active band flew to L.A. to work on what was to become their definitive sonic statement.
Thursday, April 3rd
Mystik Journeymen (Sunspot Jonz & Luckyiam), Eligh, CMinus, Kruse, Pow Shadowz, GgB, + Surprise special guest
8:00 PM, $ 17 advance, $20 Day of Show
He is known as PSC, Luckyiam, Lucky, LuckyOne or Cool Man Number 1. In the early ‘90s Lucky studied the art of dope Left Coast hip hop at the Good Life Cafe among heavyweights Freestyle Fellowship & countless others. Wanting to create his own style and identity in hip hop, he headed north to the Bay Area shortly after the L.A. riots and joined the Mystik Journeymen with Sunspot Jonz. The Journeymen took the Bay Area underground scene by storm and continued to rule the underground street tape hustle they invented. Luckyiam.PSC is the co-founder of the Living Legends crew and is a consistent solo artist in his own right (Extra Credit series 1&2 and Justify the Mean$ and The Collectors Item are all critically acclaimed works.)
Friday, April 4th
U-N-I
9:00 PM, $10 advance, $12 day of show
In 1999, at their first day at St. Bernard High School, Y-O met Thurzday, another raw MC. During lunch they would have freestyle battles that would have the whole school going wild. They decided to form a group. Together as U-N-I, they have opened for Redman, the Sneaker Pimps and Lupe Fiasco.
Friday, April 4th
Sean Healy Productions present Pigeon John
8:00 PM, $15
Pigeon John hails from sunny Southern California, Inglewood to be exact. It's easy to assume his signature blend of wit, charisma and undeniable stage presence is a fortunate gift (and it is), but let's be real, everyone starts somewhere. Pigeon John cut his teeth in the early ‘90s at the legendary Good Life Cafe, spitting rhymes on the same stage with Freestyle Fellowship, Kurupt, the Pharcyde and Jurassic 5. Good Life open-mic nights became his ritual. By 2002, Pigeon John had released his solo debut Pigeon John is Clueless, selling over 11,000 copies with no distribution. He followed up with Pigeon John Is Dating Your Sister and Pigeon John Sings the Blues. The albums garnered significant praise landing him features in Spin's "Next Big Things" issue, URB's "Next 100" and Mic Check in The Source. Touring the nation eight times over, Pigeon John has earned his veteran status, using a clever balance of self-deprecating humor and confidence to rock any crowd, any stage. His boundless energy seduces crowds making ladies swoon and fellas embrace their geek appeal.
Sunday, April 6th
Nomadic Soundsystems Presents Quese IMC (Record Release)
7:00 PM, $10 advance, $12 day of show
Producer, writer and performer Quese IMC is about the spiritual movement of the indigenous people. Living in Boyle Heights, he was born a Pawnee/Siminole Native in Oklahoma. Quese IMC advocates unity amongst his people as a first step toward fighting oppression, for without unity within, how can there be a front against oppressors?
Friday, May 2nd
Old Man Markley, Bamboula, Hellbound Glory, Leiba Hart
8:00 PM $10
Not an old man at all, but rather a young, unsigned, eleven-member group working in such homespun instruments as kazoo, train whistle, autoharp, and washboard alongside more traditional pickin’ ‘n’ grinnin’ with banjos, fiddles, bass and drums. It’s a hoedown and a throwdown and it’ll keep ya from feelin’ lowdown.
Wednesday, May 7th
Lorene Drive, Jet Lag Gemini
7:00 PM, $10 advance, $12 Day of Show
This hard-working band from the lovely town of Victorville, California, has been tearing it us since 2002. They are vets of three Warped Tours and have survived Taste of Chaos as well. Recently, their music was featured in the popular Amped series for XBox 360.
Friday, May 30th
Subtle, Facing New York
8:00 PM, $14
From Allmusic.com: “Formed in 2001 when Amoeba Music record store employees and musicians Jel (Jeffrey Logan) and Doseone (Adam Drucker) – who already made up the Anticon band Themselves – started playing with Dax Pierson, clicking almost instantly. Soon they invited woodwind player Marty Dowers, guitarist Jordan Dalrymple, and cellist Alexander Kort – all of whom Pierson had previously played with – to join the group, and Subtle (with Jel on percussion, Pierson on keys and autoharp, among other instruments, and Doseone on vocals) were born. After a couple of 12" releases and some EPs, A New White was released on Lex Records in 2004. Tragedy struck the band in February the next year when their tour van slipped on black ice, paralyzing Pierson from the chest down. Still, Subtle pushed forward, issuing the remix and collaboration EP Wishingbone in 2006 and signing to EMI, which released the group's sophomore full-length, For Hero: For Fool – which included vocal and harmonica work from Pierson – in conjunction with Lex later that same year, with a companion piece, Yell & Ice, out in late 2007.”