Events for May 16-22, 2013

Get with THE PROGRAM

THURSDAY, MAY 16

Devendra Banhart (Ana Kras)

MUSIC

Devendra Banhart @ The Fonda (Hollywood)
Although Los Angeles has lost the singer-songwriter to New York City, he bookends the world tour in support of his eighth studio album, March's Mala, with SoCal dates, including tonight at the Fonda and Aug. 24 at FYF Fest. I would opt for the show this evening, though, because there's nothing like experiencing Banhart's distinctive falsetto warble on older tracks, his sultry croon on newer songs such as "Mi Negrita" and overall charismatic onstage presence in a setting as intimate as the small theater. He's been known to invite the entire audience up on stage with him to sing along, so it should prove to be an awesome night.

FRIDAY, MAY 17

FILM

In Theaters This Week
I have high hopes for Star Trek Into Darkness, the sequel to J.J Abrams' 2009 reboot to the franchise, because the director, and the "Fringe" and "Alias" writing team of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman as well as Damon Lindelof ("Lost"), have yet to disappoint me. Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana and Zachary Quinto reprise their roles as Kirk, Spock and Uhura, while Benedict Cumberbatch (the BBC's Sherlock Holmes) is Commander Harrison, later to be revealed as dun dun dun… Khan; Julianne Moore, Greg Kinnear and Lily Collins in The English Teacher. Also in theaters: Augustine; An Oversimplification of Her Beauty; Black Rock; Erased; Frances Ha; Pieta; State 194; Stories We Tell

The Outsiders/Rumble Fish @ The Egyptian (Hollywood)
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of both films, American Cinematheque presents a Francis Ford Coppola/S.E. Hinton/Matt Dillon double feature. The evening begins with a screening of the author's watershed work, The Outsiders, which she penned while in high school. Coppola directs an all-star cast that includes C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Diane Lane, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise and Dillon, who portrays the roughest Greaser, Dallas "Dally" Winston. Stay Golden, Ponyboy! Then, Coppola adapts another Hinton novel and reunites with Dillon (and Lane) in the black-and-white Rumble Fish, which also stars Mickey Rourke, Dennis Hopper, Nicolas Cage and Tom Waits.

MUSIC

Andy Grammer @ The Fonda (Hollywood)
It's virtually impossible to keep still and not sing along whenever Grammer's monster hit "Keep Your Head Up" from his 2011 self-titled debut comes on the radio. I'm not the only one who feels this way, since the album has gone platinum. The Los Angeles native actually started out busking on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, and he's certainly come a long way since then. However, he can still lure a crowd into the palm of his hand during his performances. Just spend the night with him at the Fonda and see for yourself.

SATURDAY, MAY 18

Thirty Seconds to Mars

MUSIC

KROQ Weenie Roast @ Verizon Amphitheater (Irvine)
Speaking of Jared Leto, it's hard to ignore the posters and billboards all over town for Thirty Seconds to Mars' new album, Love Lust Faith + Dreams, which released earlier this week. The trio headline KROQ's 21st annual event with the Black Keys, Vampire Weekend, Of Monsters and Men, Jimmy Eat World, Silversun Pickups, Imagine Dragons, AWOLNATION and Atlas Genius. Fitz & The Tantrums, the Neighbourhood, C2C, Capital Cities, New Politics and Twenty One Pilots are set to appear on the side stage.

The Ocean Blue @ The Satellite (Silver Lake)
If you don't feel like heading down to the OC, then head over to the Satellite for either one of the Pennsylvania foursome's two-night stand. They just released their first album in over 10 years in March, and Ultramarine's 12 tracks mark a return to form, as well as a beginning, for the band. Old and new fans alike should anticipate dancing along to songs from their entire catalog.

FILM

American Psycho @ Hollywood Forever (Hollywood)
The Cinespia season at the cemetery is once again in full swing for the season, and this weekend's feature is Mary Haron's adaptation of the chilling Bret Easton Ellis novel. The film from 2000 stars Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Reese Witherspoon and Christian Bale in an unforgettable turn as the sociopathic Patrick Bateman. As always, bring a picnic dinner, bottle of wine and some blankets to hide your face during the bloody parts of the modern horror classic. DJ Jun spins before and after the screening.

TUESDAY, MAY 21

Laura Marling

MUSIC

Laura Marling @ Hollywood Forever Masonic Lodge (Hollywood)
The England transplant blesses her adopted hometown with a show at Hollywood Forever in anticipation of the May 28 release of fourth album, Once I Was An Eagle. The award-winning troubadour takes a listeners on a trip through the American West as she reflects on her own newfound independence and adulthood with the album, and it should be stunning to see the songs performed live in such a breathtaking setting.

FOOD

LA Times Bite Night @ The Atrium at LA Times (Downtown)
Since the Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic transferred to the Times, he's inaugurating a new tasting night that will coincide with the publication of the paper's first dining guide, Jonathan Gold's 101 Best Restaurants, which hits stands next week. Gold handpicked more than 20 restaurants, including Alma, Bestia, ink. Mozz, Squirl, The Hart & the Hunter, Kogie and Night + Market, for Angelenos to sample. Although the even is sold-out you have until 5 p.m. today (Thursday, May 16) to enter two win two tickets here. Good luck!

THEATER

"The Scottsboro Boys" @ Ahmanson Theatre (Downtown)
From the highly successful songwriting team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, who brought the world such musicals as "Cabaret" and "Chicago," comes their final collaboration, "The Scottsboro Boys." With a book by David Thompson, Susan Stroman ("The Producers") directs this emotionally charged production that documents one of the most infamous events in American history. Nine African-American men are accused of a crime that they didn't commit and, even more, didn't even happen. As their tale is interwoven with innovative staging, beautiful music and extraordinary choreography, it's bound to touch a chord in every audience member's soul. Through June 30.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22

MUSIC

Youngblood Hawke @ Avalon (Hollywood)
The Angelenos take a one-night break in the midst of their worldwide tour in support of the their debut album album Wake Up's release last month for a hometown stop in Hollywood. If tracks like "Stars (Hold On)," my personal favorite "Forever" or their break-out hit "We Come Running" have yet to grab you, give their live show a chance. The explosion of sound and all-out energy will quickly make you a convert.

New Release Tuesday - 4/23/13

APRIL 23, 2013

MUSIC RELEASES

Junip – Self-titled (Mute)
After forming Junip with drummer Elias Araya and keyboardist Tobias Winterkorn in 1998, singer-songwriter José González achieved success as a solo artist with albums like Veneer and In Our Nature while Araya was studying art and Winterkorn worked as a teacher. The Gothenburg, Sweden-based trio finally released their debut full-length, Fields, in 2010 and have remained at the forefront of indie folk ever since. They unveil a self-titled follow-up today, offering more of the atmospheric and spacey, yet beautifully intimate, sound that first put them on the map. However, they also push boundaries with the hard-thumping beat of "Villain," the Spanish guitar intricately woven into the fuzzed-out synth drones of "Suddenly" and with the hopelessly infectious hand-claps and percussive elements of "Your Life, Your Call." Junip is in town for a two-night stand at the Troubadour at the end of May. The May 30 show is already sold out, so hurry up and get your tickets for May 29 before it's too late.

The Neighbourhood – I Love You. (Columbia)
If you're an Angeleno and have yet to hear of the Neighbourhood, then you have been sorely missing out. But don't fret, the L.A. quintet's debut album is the perfect introduction to their dark atmospherics. From the in-your-face lyrics of "Afraid" to the soaring "Everybody's Watching Me (Uh Oh)" and "Float," there's something for your every mood. The fivesome is currently on an international trek in support of I Love You., but they'll be back in SoCal for a show at the Observatory in Santa Ana May 24.

Phoenix – Bankrupt! (Loyaute/Glassnote)
My first introduction to the French quartet was at 2006's Coachella, and they surprised festival-goers this year by performing a mash up of R. Kelly songs with the R&B singer during Weekend One. Phoenix also unveiled new tracks from their fifth album and follow-up to the wildly successful Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix over the two weekends. Bankrupt!, like the its predecessors, successfully gives listeners a glimpse at eras past with heavy use of textured synths but with a modern, and always refreshing, edge. Must-listen songs are: "Drakkar Noir," "Chloroform" and "Bourgeois."

The Postelles – …And It Shook Me (+1)
From the opening bars of title track/album opener "…And It Shook Me," the New York-four piece will have you dancing along to their sophomore effort. The Postelles' follow-up to their 2011 self-titled debut, which was produced by Albert Hammond, Jr., glistens with an effervescent duet "Pretend It's Love" featuring Alex Winston, the sweet lyrics of "Heavy Eyes" and the buoyant "Caught By Surprise." As suggested by the album's cover art, "…And It Shook Me" warms the soul with upbeat melodies just as much as a day spent lounging at the beach would. See the Postelles perform the new songs May 21 at Bootleg Theater.

Sweet Baboo – Ships (Moshi Moshi)
As a woman examines a Daniel Johnston album in the video for "If I Died," Sweet Baboo (aka Stephen Black) sings "Daniel Johnston has written hundreds of great tunes, and I've got six," and comparisons between the North Wales native Black and the prolific American singer-songwriter would certainly be apt. However, there is so much more to love about Sweet Baboo, as illustrated by his latest full-length album, Ships. With his sugary lyrics set to unexpected melodies, Black displays an endearing quirkiness all his own.

Youngblood Hawke – Wake Up (Republic)
It's no secret that I am completely smitten with the music from my fellow Angelenos in Youngblood Hawke (see the interview we did last summer), so Wake Up is definitely my most anticipated release of the week. If you only know them from their break-out single "We Come Running," there is even more to fall in love with as you delve deeper into the tracks on their debut full-length. Songs like album opener "Rootless" and "Dannyboy" will have you dancing and singing along in no time, while the strikingly beautiful "Stars (Hold On)" and "Say Say" are guaranteed to pull tears from your eyes. "Forever" has been my favorite song for a while. If I listen to it once, it remains in my head for days, and the entirety of Wake Up is just as addicting. YBH are currently weaving their way across the nation but return home for a May 22 date at the Avalon.

Also available – Amplifier's Echo Street; The Appleseed Cast's Illumination Ritual; Bill Ryder-Jones' A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart; Celestial Shore's 10x; The Crackling's Mary Magdalene; Fantasia's Side Effects of You; Frank Turner's Tape Deck Heart; Har Mar Superstar's Bye Bye 17; Heaven & Earth's Dig; Jeff Lyne's Armchair Theatre; Juno Reactor's The Golden Sun of the Great East; Lilacs & Champagne's Danish and Blue; Lori McKenna's Massachusetts; Michael Buble's To Be Loved; No Joy's Wait to Pleasure; Paula Cole's Raven; Queensryche's Frequency Unknown; Rob Zombie's Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor; Slava's Raw Solutions; Slowriter's TrailBlazer; Smoke Fairies' Blood Speaks; Snoop Lion's Reincarnated; Steve Martin & Edie Brickell's Love Has Come for You; Talib Kweli's Prisoner of Conscious; Tate Stevens' self-titled; Tin Cup Serenade's Tragic Songs of Hope; Tom Jones' Spirit in the Room; The Veils' Time Stays, We Go Out; Victory's Victory Is Music; will.i.am's #willpower; Young Galaxy's Ultramarine

DVD RELEASES

Film – The Orphanage's J.A. Bayona directs The Impossible, starring Ewan McGregor and Academy Award-nominee Naomi Watts as a couple caught in the Thailand with their family after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami; Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt in the touching drama Any Day Now; The Central Park Five is a documentary about the wrongful convictions of five youths in the Central Park jogger case; Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Sean Penn in Gangster Squad; Promised Land, written by and starring Matt Damon and John Krasinski, is an environmental drama directed by Gus Van Sant and also features Frances McDormand. 

TV – Donna Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti Mysteries – Episodes 15 &16; The Killing: The Complete Second Season; Mr. Selfridge; Touched By an Angel: The Seventh Season

Music – Alanis Morissette: Live at Montreux 2012; Pink – Revolution; Whitesnake: Made in Japan

Also available – 5th & Alameda; All American Zombie Drugs; Assassins Run; Champion; Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie; City That Never Sleeps; Cloned: The Recreator Chronicles; Cold Prey II; Copacabana; D'Agostino; Deep Dark Canyon; Family Weekend; Flirt; G-Dog; God's Country; The Grapes of Death; Happy People: A Year in the Taiga; A Haunted House; It's in the Blood; Jurassic Park 3D; K-11; Magic Town; Meanwhile; Mixed Kebab; Night of the Hunted; Pawn; Pierre Etaix (Criterion Collection); Re-Generator; The Red Pony; Santa Fe Stampede; Secret Love; Sloppy the Psychotic; Thale; Wake of the Red Witch; The Wanderers; War of the Wildcats; Wasted on the Young; Wuthering Heights

SHOW REVIEWS - Echo Park Rising 8/25/12

Lavender Diamond performs at Echo Park Rising.

 

ECHO PARK RISING

Aug. 25 in Echo Park

I used to love going to Sunset Junction, back when it was donation-only and really about getting together with friends and neighbors who loved music as much as I did to see local bands, have margaritas at El Cid and rub elbows with the likes of Karen O. As the festival ballooned in price and proportions, showcasing national acts and rickety carnival rides to lure patrons, it lost its luster for me. For the second year in a row, Echo Park Rising has given eastsiders an outlet to celebrate our community, minus the traffic jams.

The day started out with a trip to Two Boots for a slice of cheese pizza. A DJ had taken over the patio to provide background music for those standing around eating their slices or in line to get into the Echo where Highland Park's Seasons were in the midst of their set. After fueling up at Two Boots, we headed to the main stage located in the parking lot of Taix to catch some cumbia from Norwalk's Buyepongo. There was a beer garden set up in the far corner of the lot, which was a great spot to stand in the shade and watch all the action.

I had to brave the sun to get closer to the stage once Lavender Diamond began their set, though. Frontwoman Becky Stark shared facts about Echo Park since it's her home base and a community that she loves, leading into "Oh My Beautiful World" from their sophomore full-length, Incorruptible Heart (releasing Sept. 25 via Paracadute). I had only ever seen them perform in small theaters, but the open space proved no challenge for Stark's strong pipes. Clad in a gauzy salmon gown, she gracefully lifted her arms as her voice soared on other new tracks like "Dragonfly" and "Everybody's Heart's Breaking Now." With each song, the crowd around the stage grew, but their short set was over before very long and the audience was left hungry for more. Luckily Lavender Diamond begin a Monday-night residency at the Echo on Sept. 10.

Next up were Dante Vs. Zombies, headed by former Detroit Cobras guitarist Dante White Aliano, and Robert DeLong. By this time, the area in front of the stage was full of people, who were happy that the sun was going down and eager for NO to start playing. NO's latest project, a 7-inch on White Iris, released today and features artwork by Josh Evans that represents their former house on Mohawk Street, just blocks away from the stage at the Taix parking lot.

The evening ended with a set from another local band, Youngblood Hawke. The ballroom inside Taix was warm, even at 11 p.m., and after they kicked off their set with "Rootless," bodies started moving and it became sweltering hot. Youngblood had performed on the outdoor stage earlier in the night, yet the heat and any exhaustion they might have felt didn't diminish their energy. Vocalist Sam Martin bounced all over the place throughout the set, getting right in crowd members' faces for songs like "Dannyboy" and "Forever." Nik Hughes and Alice Katz pounded their drums with ceaseless zest, while Tasso Smith raised his guitar and beat on it as Simon Katz bravely took his guitar and flailed into the audience. The place exploded with writhing bodies during their cover of the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Juicy," and the entire right side of the room jumped up and down to their hit, "We Come Running." Youngblood's set was the perfect nightcap to a wonderful day in the neighborhood.

Youngblood Hawke

Simon Katz, Sam Martin, Nik Hughes, Tasso Smith and Alice Katz of Youngblood Hawke at El Chavo

 

YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE

At El Chavo Restaurant

4441 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles (Silver Lake)

El Chavo is one of the most colorful establishments in Silver Lake. Brightly hued streamers, sombreros, piñatas and Christmas lights adorn the Mexican restaurant, yet the decor pales in comparison to the vibrant patrons who frequent the dining room for tacos and green corn tamales or perch on barstools for a shot of tequila. El Chavo attracts everyone from blue-collar workers downing an after-work beer to platinum blonde Dolly Parton (whose portrait hangs in the bar) and a red-hot band of local musicians known as Youngblood Hawke.

"We meet here with our manager and a bunch of our other musician friends on Thursdays," shares group co-founder, multi-instrumentalist Simon Katz. "They're all super creative, involved in all facets of the music industry around here. It's really interesting to have everyone gather together each week."

"We've probably come here every Thursday for the last year," continues vocalist Sam Martin. "We come to discuss the week: what's going on, what we need to do. That's the main reason we come together, and to have some margaritas."

We take a seat in the small cantina area of the restaurant known as El Chavito with the rest of their bandmates – drummer Nik Hughes, vocalist/percussionist Alice Katz and guitarist Tasso Smith – during Happy Hour. Tasso gets a Michelada, while the other guys settle for some cervezas. Alice and I decide on margaritas: a Chavo Margarita for me and a Tropical Margarita for her.

"It's a mango margarita," she says. "I've never had it before with this chili salt around the rim."

"They have a Natural Margarita [with organic agave nectar], which I think is a little less sweet," says Sam. "On Cinco de Mayo they have $3-$4 margaritas, which is so dangerous. It's the one day when you can just embarrass yourself, when everybody's like, 'At least I'm not as bad as that guy over there!'"

El Chavo's name translates to 'the kid' in Spanish, which perfectly encapsulates the jovial atmosphere of the restaurant, as well as the relaxed vibe that surrounds this group of five longtime friends who just released a self-titled EP, their debut on Universal Republic. Youngblood Hawke's youthful spirit shines in the EP's anthemic lead single, "We Come Running," which has been charting on radio nationwide and features the West Los Angeles Children's Choir.

"We were always trying to figure out a way to incorporate a children's choir into one of our songs. Every time you hear one sing, it evokes a feeling of happiness. It's unavoidable," shares Simon. "We were at the studio watching them sing, and we just had smiles plastered on our faces like a bunch of idiots. We felt that it was really appropriate for this song because of its message, which is essentially, to follow your dreams and even when things are bad, know that they will get better."

"Kids are filled with a sense of wonder and curiosity. It was cool to have them on the track because that's kind of the point of the song too: Don't ever lose that part of you," adds Sam.

The band is rehearsing for upcoming shows in support of the EP, kicking off at this Saturday's Echo Park Rising, a festival celebrating the dynamic scene in the community that Simon and Alice call home.

"I love the area around where I live in Echo Park. I've been in Los Angeles for almost 10 years, and I've lived in Echo Park for about two years. Just being in this area inspires me and makes me feel like I've found my nook," says Alice. "I love taking walks in the neighborhood, sitting at Fix Coffee and going to restaurants like Sage. I'm a vegetarian, and there are so many great restaurants to choose from here."

While Alice stays healthy by eating good food, the guys counterbalance days of working in the studio with pick-up games of basketball.

"We play at Bellevue Park. It's close to our rehearsal space, so we'll practice then go play some hoops and get our asses kicked by ninth graders. They're just a bunch of little kids, and they literally run circles around us," Sam laughs.

Tasso also likes to unwind with a surf session.

"I usually go surf Zuma Beach, anywhere in that area north of Malibu," he says. "Sometimes I go to El Porto, which is south of the airport."

"Is it at the port?" asks Simon.

El Chavo's Toltec warrior mural

Tasso replies, "No, the beach is just called El Porto."

"You better look it up, because it could be like a 'Do not swim here!' area," laughs Simon.

"It is right next to a surf break commonly known as Shitpipe," smiles Tasso, evoking a collective "eww" from everyone at the table.

This kind of joking banter is a frequent occurrence between the two childhood friends, who knew that music would be their common path from a young age growing up in San Antonio, Texas.

"Music was part of our whole childhood growing up. We met when we were 13 years old, and what do you do when you're 13 but play electric guitar or some instrument and skateboard around the neighborhood? That's all we did for 10 years: play music," recalls Simon.

"His family had a basement that they basically gave us. It was a storage room," says Tasso. "I think that room was it for me. We would hang out there all day, we would go in with nothing and come out with three great songs. It made us feel like we could definitely do this."

"We played in four different bands together, evolving with all of our friends. It became a part of our life. In college, it was still a part of our life. We just knew what made us happy. I tried other things. I went to college for filmmaking initially, but music was still the biggest thing in my life," continues Simon. "People always say, 'Follow your dreams,' but it's hard with music because you don't know what's going to happen, even if you really push it."

Nik also began his love affair with music in his youth.

"My dad played in bands – he's a guitarist/piano player. When my parents had me, they moved into a house, and my dad had to sell a lot of his equipment. For some reason, he decided not to sell the drums, so I had a drum kit when I was really little," he shares. "My grandmother was a professional singer in New York. She sang with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and Nat King Cole in the '30s. She was great; I have some records of her singing. My mom sings as well. There's a lot of music in my family. I'm the only child, or else we would have a band of brothers or something like that."

Instead, Nic is content to be in a group with great friends whom he sees as siblings who have weathered a lot together. It seems fitting that the restaurant they hang out at the most has one exterior wall that boasts a huge mural of a strong Toltec warrior. While Youngblood Hawke and their music are definitely about fun, there is a passionate determination that simmers at the band's core. Their name, taken from the title of a Herman Wouk novel, relates to events surrounding their formation.

"The story is about a guy who moves from the mountains of Kentucky to New York, and I feel like we could relate to that because we got in the car and moved from Boulder to L.A. – Simon and I moved out here together in 2006. We were going to school in Boulder, and we wanted to make the move to try and do music out here," explains Sam. "In the novel, when the character moves to New York, he is immersed in a totally different world. It's almost an entirely different world that we've been exposed to, just like the character in the book."

"The whole story is very reflective of things that we've all been through. Us in particular [indicates Sam and himself] having success with our last band [Iglu & Hartly] – doing all this crazy stuff, coming from nowhere, not knowing anybody in L.A., craziness in the U.K. – and coming right back down again the next year," says Simon. "I think people will take away the metaphor that it was just the beginning of where we're going with this new project."

After the members of Iglu & Hartly parted ways, the duo poured its emotions into new material, with Simon's wife, Alice, contributing to songwriting sessions. The addition of Nik and Tasso rounded out the lineup, and Youngblood Hawke took flight last year playing the Sunset Strip Music Festival, a residency at the Satellite and South by Southwest. And the band shows no signs of letting up anytime soon.

"When we were writing those [first] songs, we were at the lowest we've ever felt. We were trying to inspire ourselves," says Simon. "It was like writing a letter to ourselves, to pick ourselves up even though we were starting over completely at ground zero after years of work with the last band. It was about the possibility. You just have to really believe in it; you just have to really want it. I was like, 'I don't care what happens, this has to work. There's no other option. It's do or die.'"

Youngblood Hawke performs May 22 at the Avalon. For more information, visit youngbloodhawke.com.