2 Pics 1 Clip: HELEN STELLaR – April 5th, 2010 – Spaceland

Yup, you guessed it: new category. The title is (obviously) a play on some other unspeakable video with a similar name. (Hint: the above picture is a cute rendition of the terms involved. If that doesn’t help, don’t bother trying to figure it out. It’s not worth the nightmares anyway.) Except my videos are lacking 100% of the disgusting found in the similarly titled one. With everyone and their brother doing show reviews, I thought I’d take a vastly (said in a self-important tone) different approach to live shows, and instead do open ended reviews. Instead of waxing on and on about the band, and the venue and the sound guy, and the hipsters, etc. I’ll simply post the date, the venue, and the band, along with, you guessed it, 2 pictures and 1 video clip. That should give some indication of how it was to be there. And for once my words won’t taint your thoughts one bit. Shall we try it?

First 2 Pics 1 Clip band is the lovely HELEN STELLaR, who I previously wrote about here, and who are also winning the race for “First” in most categories on Parenthetical(s) as well. (PS – Enterprising individuals can find another video [and it's a cover!] from Monday’s HELEN STELLaR set on my new Parentheticals Vimeo page…)

To Whom It May Concern RE: SxSw bands to NOT see

Your feedback is appreciated!

Yet another new category, “To Whom It May Concern” takes into account the always enjoyable feedback received from loyal readers like yourself. I figure if someone takes the time to write me a shitty email or leave a shitty comment, far be it from me to not take the time to issue an appropriately shitty response. This way you get the attention you so desperately wanted. But instead of being left in the comments section where nobody may ever see it, your words get put right on the front page! Now you can truly feel as important as you think you are!

This lovely comment below, larger and in bold, came from a gentleman in response to my post on 3 LA bands at SxSw this year to NOT see and inspired the first “To Whom It May Concern” entry.

A Day Late… – Lawz Spoken “Standing In The Rain”

Surprise! New category introduction! This one is called “A Day Late…” and will be featured any time I want to talk about something I somehow discovered months (or even years) down the road. Hence the short-handing of  the old “day late, dollar short” adage. Think of it as a way for me to feature something 18,840 other blogs probably already featured 6 months ago… Either way, it’s new to me and, possibly, you.

First installment of new blog category “A Day Late…” is about Portland, OR based (shoutout to Ryan Smith, where you at?!?) hip-hop producer Lawz Spoken, who dropped this FREE (!) 12 track album of his productions featuring various Northwest regional rappers back in fall of 2009. Imma say it right now: this album is all about the beats. The MCs are all mad decent (no shots) but the beats are standout. Maybe it’s that he’s from Portland, maybe it’s that we were supposed to get some rain in LA the past few days, maybe it’s that the album is straight CALLED “Standing In The Rain,” or maybe it’s that he even says “…you can almost taste the Portland weather through the speakers…” but listening to this makes me want to, well, stand in the rain. (I think that sparse piano in the beats has something to do with the rainy feel of it…) Keep an eye on this dude, as he’s prepping more shit for 2010.

Download or stream “Standing In The Rain” here: http://lawzspoken.com/sitr/

Also check out recently released “Ferrari Rap Vol 1″ that he did back in 2008 with rapper 9DM here: http://lawzspoken.com/ferrari-rap-vol1/

Advance Notice: HELEN STELLaR

HELEN STELLaR (Photo by Jessica Holmes)

Ok, so first things first, I’m starting to use “categories” with the idea that there will be recurring columns on this ol’ blog, which also insinuates that I will keep updating it and the blog won’t be some flavor-of-the-week shit. Fingers crossed… In any case, what I call “Advance Notice” (until I find a clever-er title) will be an opportunity for me to point out some of LA’s finer bands before they hit it big time.

{Sidenote: had I actually had a blog in 2005, and had I actually done an “Advance Notice” column then (a lot of supposition right there…), I would have correctly predicted Silversun Pickups meteoric rise to stardom back in ’05 after playing Pikul’s “Kissing Families” to death. Just sayin. Ask my friends all over the globe whom I relentlessly bombarded with “did you get your copy of Carnavas yet?” phone calls…}

Now that that’s out of the way, I’d like to present to you the very first Parenthetical(s) “Advance Notice” artist: HELEN STELLaR.

Dear Internet: Blog Names

New category debut of “Dear Internet:” in which my old-codger-ass offers a plea to the internet population to please stop doing (or, in rare occasions, just do) something.

And soon. First installment below.

Dear Internet:

Please stop naming your music blog after semi-obscure song lyrics from Loggins and Messina songs even your dad didn’t like.

Thanks.

Sincerely,
Me and everyone else

SxSw 2010: 3 Los Angeles bands to NOT see while in Austin

I’d like to take this time to switch it up and do what most people won’t do: point out a few LA bands to NOT see at SxSw 2010. I’ve heard it said that “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything” but I think someone should come up with a better adage like “if you can’t play music that doesn’t suck total ass, or at least play ok music without being a total prick, please, for the sake of everyone else, don’t play your shitty music.” That’s why I’m not in a band. Because I suck at the musics. Here’s a few groups of Angelenos NOT worthy of your already limited time at SxSw.

Guest columns FTW!

Brand new post on LA bands at SxSw over at an.interlude. Consider it my first “real” blog post.

More to come, including a post on LA bands NOT to see at SxSw.

Kisses.

Insert default title here!

Through the power of the internets, I can haz blog too. The price was certainly right… Thanks WordPress. And Thanks Emma for making me do this. (Attention people: you have her to blame for this. Remember that when the shit starts spewing…)