Darker My Love, Wounded Lion @ The Bootleg Theater 08/17/10
LA favorites Darker My Love played an intimate set for friends and fans at the Bootleg Theater a few weeks ago to celebrate the US release of their third album, Alive As You Are. Wounded Lion opened.
Tonight In Rock: Brandon Flowers, Darker My Love, The Parson Red Heads, Dead Meadow
Tonight the Killers front man Brandon Flowers, who only recently announced that he would be embarking on the solo path, will be performing to a very sold-out house at Troubadour. Local indie pop outfit the Parson Red Heads (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) are poised to take on Spaceland with none other than Cotton Jones in tow. And, lastly, LA-bred psych rockers Dead Meadow, who recently rung in their latest endeavor, 2010's feature-length film and soundtrack Three Kings, will be gracing the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Bootleg Theater to catch local psych rockers Darker My Love, who will be ringing in their third studio-album—2010's Alive As You Are.
Tonight In Rock: Biffy Clyro, Little Boots, The Temper Trap, Abe Vigoda
Tonight Scottish rock outfit Biffy Clyro (LAist Interview) will be concluding a two-night stint at the Troubadour, warming up the stage for headlining act, Atlanta-based indie rockers Manchester Orchestra. English electro-pop songstress Little Boots...
Week In Rock: Broken Bells, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Temper Trap, Miles Kurosky
This week Broken Bells—the brainchild of the Shins front man James Mercer and producer/musician extraordinaire Danger Mouse—will be performing to a sold-out crowd (don't say we didn't warn ya!) at the Troubadour. Local psych-infused...
A Place to Bury Strangers, Darker My Love, All the Saints @ the Echoplex 10/16/09
The Echoplex, complete with its leather-couched cozy enclaves and dim lighting, was the perfect venue for Brooklyn-based A Place to Bury Strangers, LA's own Darker My Love (opening for White Lies' European shows as of tomorrow), and Atlanta's All the Saints (currently on tour with APTBS). After the openers primed the claustrophobic and moody atmosphere, APTBS took the darkened stage for their electronic noise rock. Murky projected images and an over-active fog machine accompanied the understated three piece as they delivered on their gift for making reverb and feedback danceable, concluding the set with guitarist Oliver Ackermann's much anticipated guitar destruction and restring, all observed through the oversaturated burn of an intermittent strobe light.
Tonight In Rock: Jon Brion, Vetiver, Dan Deacon, A Place To Bury Strangers
Tonight, as always, local multi-instrumentalist/producer extraordinaire Jon Brion (LAist Interview, #2, Review) will be jamming with friends at the Largo at the Coronet. San Franciscan folk rockers Vetiver are poised to grace Sanctuary Church in Santa Monica. And, lastly, Baltimore's crown jewel, electronic mastermind Dan Deacon (LAist Review) will be taking on the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Echo to catch Brooklyn-based noise-infused rock outfit A Place To Bury Strangers. Local psych rockers Darker My Love are slated to kick things off.
FYF Fest - LA State Historic Park - 9/5/09 - Part 1
At the end of Fucked Up’s powerful, frenetic set, frontman Pink Eyes looks out at the crowd and says something along the lines of “You can say we played the Hipster Woodstock. You can say we play punk rock. One thing I know, my hips are in a state of shock.” It’s actually a fitting summary of last Saturday’s FYF festival - whose crowd is a healthy cross-section of young hipsters, and aging punk rockers with bad hips. I’m not entirely sure of the significance, but there seems to be a poetic irony in the proliferation of teenagers in Black Flag T-shirts and forty-somethings in Vivian Girls T-shirts.
FYF Fest - In Photos
Long lines and food shortages aside, it would be hard to call the FYF Fest anything but a success. Now in it's sixth year, an inspired lineup and a great cause made the "hipster Woodstock" the most successful F-Yeah yet. In-depth reviews are fothcoming, and make sure to check out more LAist coverage here.
Week In Rock: F Yeah Fest, NIN, Billy Corgan, Division Day
This week Cleveland-bred industrial rockers NIN will be performing not two, not three, but four farewell shows with Danish rockers Mew and local noise-infused rock outfit HEALTH in tow. Illinois-bred Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan will be playing to a sold-out crowd at the Hotel Café. And, lastly, the sixth annual F Yeah Fest, which boasts a bevy of artists including: the Black Lips, Tim & Eric, No Age, Lightning Bolt, Lucero, Converge, the Thermals, Glass Candy, Fucked Up, Matt Skiba, Times New Viking, Japanther, Mika Miko, Telepathe, Crystal Antlers, Darker My Love, AA Bondy, Wavves, Dios, Peanut Butter Wolf, the Strange Boys, Ninjasonik, Cold Cave, Har Mar Superstar, Avi Buffalo and Kurt Vile, will be taking place at Los Angeles State Historic Park. And, lastly, local indie rock act Division Day (LAist Review, #2, #3) will be gracing Spaceland with LA-based indie pop outfit and labelmates Bad Veins for this week's edition of Club NME.
LAist Staff Top Tens of 2008
December is list-making season. And for us music journalists, it is a time to look back on scores of albums, reflect upon the music and recapitulate our favorites. This year we asked some of the staffers what inspired them. The prompt was not limited to albums that came out in 2008.
Darker My Love's Top Ten of 2008
December is list-making season. And for us music journalists, it is a time to look back on scores of albums, reflect upon the music and recapitulate our favorites. But this year, just like the last, we took this opportunity to flip that tradition upside down, asking the artists that influenced us what influenced them. The prompt was not limited to albums that came out in 2008.
Tonight In Rock: Ozomatli, Dustin Kensrue, Jon Brion, The Duke Spirit
Tonight there is way too much going on in LA. For starters, Latin/hip-hop outfit Ozomatli will be spending their second night at the House of Blues Sunset. The front men of Thrice, Saves the day, Sparta/Sleepercar and Switchfoot will all be playing to a sold-out crowd at the Troubadour for an Invisible Children Benefit. Local musician/producer extraordinaire Jon Brion (LAist Review) is poised to jam with friends at the Largo at the Coronet. LAist's favorite b-boys People Under the Stairs are headlining the El Rey Theatre. Hawthorne-bred rapper Pigeon John will be performing at the Knitting Factory with electronic mastermind Daedelus. And, lastly, Darker My Love and the Soft Pack (formerly known as the Muslims) are slated to headline the Echoplex. But, all things considered, we recommend making a trip out to Eagle Rock. Somehow, someway Fuck Yeah Fest organizer Sean Carlson has arranged for Metallica (LAist Review) to play an acoustic set on the tiny stage at the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock.
Amnion's Top Ten of 2008
December is list-making season. And for us music journalists, it is a time to look back on scores of albums, reflect upon the music and recapitulate our favorites. But this year, just like the last, we took this opportunity to flip that tradition upside down, asking the artists that influenced us what influenced them. The prompt was not limited to albums that came out in 2008.
Tonight In Rock: My Bloody Valentine, Sigur Rós, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Gram Rabbit
First and foremost, we'd like to excuse our brief lapse into barbarism yesterday. We may or may not have initially forgotten to include the triumphant return of My Bloody Valentine, which commenced last night at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Tonight, the London-based progenitors of blaring shoegaze will be concluding their brief two-date stint with a sold-out show at the aforementioned venue. If you miss it, well, then you run the risk of being called—among other brilliantly devised hyperbole—an uncultured swine. For those lucky enough to snag tickets to McCabe's 50th Anniversary bash at Royce Hall, we applaud thee! You will be treated to a night filled with mind-blowingly dexterous guitar playing, including past masters Jackson Browne and Richard Thompson, as well as Drag City's own Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. And, lastly, Joshua Tree-based psych-pop act Gram Rabbit, who were hailed as best new LA band in 2005 at the LA Weekly Music Awards, will be headlining the House of Blues Sunset. But we suggest catching Icelandic quartet Sigur Rós at the Greek Theatre. They will be pumping out ethereal, otherworldly tunes in support of 2008's Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust.
Tonight in Rock in LA - Jenny Owen Youngs, Yo-Yo Ma
Glen Phillips @ Largo
Tonight in Rock in LA - Fuck Yeah, Macy Gray, UB40
The Blood Arm - "Suspicious Character" Fuck Yeah Fest: Deerhunter, Foreign Born, The Nice Boys, Indian Jewelry, Midnight Movies, The Blood Arm, Great Northern, Darker My Love, Bad Dudes, others @ The Echo Macy Gray @ Hollywood Bowl UB40, The English Beat, Elan @ The Greek The Brand New Heavies @ House of Blues The Real McKenzies, Crosstops, Dynamite 8 @ The El Rey Strunz & Farah @ Catalina Bar & Grill House of...
Tonight in Rock in LA - Justin Timberlake
First we'd like to congratulate our Justin Timberlake winner ChiGirl who has a great blog with our badge permanently on her blog. If you didn't win the JT seats, leave your button on your blog because we will have at least one contest a month for people who permanently link to us. How's that? Justin Timberlake, Pink @ Staples Center The Nightwatchman @ The Hotel Cafe Darker My Love, The Holy Curtain @ Safari...
Tonight in Rock in LA - Killers, Killola, Rhino Bucket
Magnolia Electric Co., Bottomless Pit @ The Knitting Factory
New Music Tuesday
There are so many good cds coming out this week, it's sorta like Christmas in August. We will be reviewing some of these cds over the next few weeks, but in the meantime we put our faves in bold.
Tonight in Rock in LA
Giant Drag, The Thermals, Envy, Dios Malos, Tussle, Silversun Pickups, Darker My Love, Foreign Born, Toys that Kill, Brother Reade, Whiskey Biscuit, Rolling Blackouts, Strange Boys, The Minor Canon, Sleeping People, Subtitle & Friends, Graf Orlock, Chuck Ragan, Hit Me Back, Carry the Casket, Upsilon Acrux,Shapes and Sizes, Thee Make Out Party, Michael Runion, Life with an Astronaut @ Fuck Yeah Fest
Monday Summer Night Rock Choices
They're dreamy they're psychedelic and they're heavy. They're Darker My Love and they've been holding court at Spaceland these Monday nights, for free, for your collective asses. Here's what we wish. You know how they have all these festivals and everything has a theme? You don't even need a festival for this, but we'd love to see one with Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg, Black Crowes, Wolfmother and Darker My Love, because this band just makes you want to light one up and drift off into the jamz.
Weekend Live Music Picks
Fri 6/9 - Silversun Pickups / Film School @ the Echo ($10) – The Silversun Pickups drop their debut full-length, Carnavas, on July 25th on Dangerbird Records. The record is consistently strong and they're one of the handful of local bands with a really good chance of blowing up this year. Expect to hear a few Smashing Pumpkins comparisons in the reviews (classic Gish/Siamese Dream-era Pumpkins). San Francisco’s Film School frequently gets favorably compared to your favorite Manchester bands.

