Tele Novella 5/22/13 - Bootleg Theater, Los Angeles, CA.

(Photo: Tele Novella Facebook page)

Last month, Tele Novella made a couple of stops on their debut tour in Los Angeles - the second of which was in at the Bootleg Theater in the heart of Los Angeles. Tele Novella is the brainchild of Natalie Ribbons, of the recently and dearly departed Agent Ribbons. While were big fans of and will greatly miss Agent Ribbons, Tele Novella will neatly fill the void.

While it would be tempting to compare Tele Novella to Agent Ribbons, it would not only be the easy way out, but somewhat inaccurate. Tele Novella, by virtue of being a four-piece (vs. Agent Ribbon's usual two) has a darker sound, which conjures up images of victorian gothic horror with tinges of 60's folk/swing thrown in. So enjoy this show, which was not only their tenth live performance ever, but included such highlights as the story of the "flying (guitar) space case" and the performance of a song that was based on a poem/lyrics from a man that ran a record label in Texas in the 1960's (track 5) Setlist below:

No Excalibur
Don't Be A Stranger
Victorian Terrarium
?
? "God Bless You Linda"
?
?
Hair of the Dog
Coattail Rider

Full show download here (Mp3) or here (FLAC)

Jesca Hoop 3/23/13 - The Hotel Cafe, Hollywood, CA.

Last weekend, Jesca Hoop was back in town and graced us with her presence at her old stomping grounds of the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. As Jesca has been a resident of Manchester for awhile now, a sighting of her in the states has become a rarer one - on this outing, she was here for SXSW besides this Los Angeles stop. And what a show it was - along with a selection of songs that spanning her catalog (including the newbie "Songs of Old"), if you've been dying to hear Jesca utter "fuck da police," your wish has been granted. Guests that joined Jesca onstage were longtime collaborator Nicole Eva Emery on backing vocals, and Blake Mills on guitar for "The House That Jack Built." Full setlist below:



Murder of Birds                      
"Cop Story"                          
Whispering Light                      
"Northern California Story"          
Born To                              
Hospital (Win Your Love)              
The House That Jack Built            
Seed of Wonder                        
Four Dreams                          
Songs of Old
Hunting My Dress

Full show can be downloaded or streamed here.

Little Red Lung 3/14/13 - The Hotel Cafe, Hollywood, CA.

Photo: Little Red Lung Facebook page

This past Thursday night, Little Red Lung appeared at the The Hotel Cafe in Hollywood playing a set that saw the debut of several new songs that will be part of their upcoming, first full-length album. It's been awhile since we've seen Little Red Lung, having been big fans and covering them on here before, and tonight's show did not disappoint. The Hotel Cafe's surrounding atmosphere and backdrop was the perfect setting to see Little Red Lung play in, and ff these new songs are any indication, the album will be a must-listen. Setlist below:

50 Fingers
Deadweight
Civilian Tiger
Badblood
Fangs
Little Drop of Poison (Tom Waits cover)
Wheremines
Rarebird

Download the full show here (mp3) FLAC files available by request.

About last night...

Hello all - I'm here to interrupt your irregularly-scheduled programming with a more reflective post (vs. one that's usually more content-based)

Last night I went to a show. This act isn't so unusual of itself, save for the fact that I haven't been to one since  The Henry Clay People's last NYE extravaganza many weeks back - talk about falling show attendance  It was Little Red Lung and Pam Shaffer  (the later celebrating a new record release) at the Hotel Cafe. I sat with Brad Roberts of Feed Your Head fame. It was a good show. Hotel Cafe has changed a lot of the years - I've been going there on and off since August of 2003 (!) Granted, the world keeps progressing on, and change is a natural factor of that, but...which brings me to another reason why I'm making this entry.

This morning, The 704 made a post celebrating his blog's anniversary, and how admittedly his online abode "is effectively dead, and has been for a while." I know the feeling - my own updates have been few and far between. Life and other things get in the way, it happens. Other activities take priority. However, this paragraph jumped out at me:

"Death to Anders no longer exists. Pizza! and Big Whup no longer exist. One Trick Pony no longer exists. Red Cortez, Mississippi Man, the Deadly Syndrome. The 60 Watt Kid diaspora has grown to include N O W, Skyline Drive, Pageants. Future Ghost is Missing Teen. Some variation of the Union Line has become Mt. Ossa. Johnny left Seasons. Manhattan Murder Mystery has six members. Who knows what's happening with the Monolators and the Henry Clay People. Joey Siara now plays rousing rock and roll anthems solo to rooms full of the staid and the polite. Web in Front no longer exists. Mouse is married. Time keeps doing that weird thing it does: passing."

First of all, I had no idea One Trick Pony had disbanded. It seems like yesterday I saw them at last year's edition of Make Music Pasadena. Talk about being out of the loop. But I digress...

Last night's show was very good. Great new stuff from Little Red Lung. But - and this is more about me than the music - something felt off, and has been awhile. Going to shows isn't as fun as it used to. There doesn't seem to be much to get excited about as in years past, that a certain spark is missing. Granted, I go to a lot of concerts alone, and that takes it's toll after awhile, but...I don't know. Maybe it's prolonged burn-out after going to see so much for such a long time? A normal part of the aging process?

Regardless, there will be upcoming posts on the sets from last night, hopefully sooner than later. A Jesca Hoop show should be on the horizon in the near future. If I decide to shell out the cash for Bat For Lashes, that too. Beyond that, who knows...

Sara Radle & The Mockingbirds 10/29/12 - The Echo, Los Angeles, CA.

(Photo by M.P.)

In our final post on Otik Record's Halloween Covers Night at The Echo (which also featured Haunted Summer "as Animal Collective" and The Monolators "as the Bee Gees"), Sara Radle & The Mockingbirds took the stage with a set of Ramones covers. Sara Radle is a solo artist in her own right, and was a member of the band The Rentals as well as lending vocal talent to recent Walking Sleep efforts. This was a fun set, and a unique take on the Ramones brand. Setlist below:

Durango 95
Sheena Is a Punk Rocker
Lobotomy
Pet Sematary
Do You Remember Rock N Roll Radio
KKK
Beat On The Brat
Pinhead
Blitzkreig Bop

Full show download here. FLAC files available by request.

Recorded by M.P.

The Monolators 10/29/12 - The Echo, Los Angeles, CA.

(Photo by Ben Golomb)

Continuing with our recent theme of featuring The Monolators and sets from Otik Record's Halloween Covers night such as Haunted Summer's take on Animal Collective, the band channeled and performed the hits of the great 70's disco icons the Bee Gees. Featuring takes on the hits such as "Jive Talking" and "How Deep Is Your Love," the audience was treated a set of creative and intense interpretations of a portion of the Bee Gee's back catalog. Setlist below:

Introduction
To Love Somebody
Jive Talkin'
If I Can't Have You
"Banter"
How Deep Is Your Love
"Banter"
Gotta Get A Message To You
Nights on Broadway

Full show download here. FLAC files available by request.

Recorded by M.P.

Haunted Summer 10/29/12 - The Echo, Los Angeles, CA.

(Photo by M.P.)

Back in October (this is one of those "better late than never posts"), Haunted Summer performed a set of Animal Collective covers at the Otik Records-presented Halloween Covers night at The Echo. Haunted Summer is a relatively new band, featuring John Seasons (ex-member of widely-covered on here band Seasons) and Bridgette Eliza Moody, and is self-described as "spooky, eerie, experimental, and psychedelic" - a perfect fit for the evening's set of Animal Collective covers. Haunted Summer is currently their debut E.P. due to be released later this year, and will be featured in an upcoming interview on Radio Free Silverlake. Setlist below:

Ponytail (Panda Bear song)
Peacebone
Turn Into Something
For Reverend Green
Bees (check out the video of this song here)

Full show download available here. FLAC files available by request.

Recorded by M.P.

The Monolators 12/17/12 - Satellite, Los Angeles, CA.

(Photo by M.P.)

Last month, The Monolators opened the third night of The Henry Clay People's tenth-anniversary/"farewell" Monday night December residency at The Satellite, and played what might be their second-to-last show before going on an indefinite hiatus (noticing a trend here) The summery of the reasons for this decision can be read here, but in short, current drummer Ray is leaving to pursue other opportunities, and as result, this would leave The Monolators as a two-piece band, and it was decided that it would be best to "put the Monolators on hold" in light of his departure.

So, this was obviously a very special show, if not only for the reasons stated above, but also the setlist. Ranging the gamut from one of their newest tracks "Covering Up" (produced for the Ten Years of Tears "best of" retrospective tape) to, in the spirit of the season, "Hot Sleigh" (originally available on the 2008 Plastic Snow compilation mix) Setlist below:


"Introduction"
Strawberry Roan
Covering Up
Hot Sleigh
Such A Fool
14 Degrees
Love Don't Love Me
Don't Dance
"Banter"
5001
Pickup Ford
Let’s Be Best Friends In Space


Full download of the show here. (FLAC version available by request)

Recorded by M.P.

Update

Hello everyone. Yes, I know - our last post was in September. Life got more complicated and busier than we thought it would be; thus, nothing until now. So, as of now, Recording L.A. isn't completely dead, it's just been on an extended, unintentional hiatus.

Now, what does that mean for the future of Recording L.A.? Well, I'm not exactly sure - admittedly, for myself and other contributors, going to concerts has taken a backseat in life priorities as of late. To be perfectly honest, running this blog is a lot of work - not only do we have to go and record the shows themselves (not an easy task considering how "unfriendly" most concert environments are), the recordings have to be transferred, mastered, tracked, have to undergo setlist/song identification (this particular task is one of the hardest and longest ones), converted, uploaded, researched, have posts put together, create streaming samples of, promoted - each post represents at least a few hours of work. We receive no real compensation for this either.

So, this blog is at a bit of a crossroads. One idea I've been toying with is moving it to a new, easier-to-deal-with, smaller format (ex. tumblr) because that seems to be where most music blogging and writing is heading. Obviously, this is all in the beginning stage, I'll hopefully get things rolling in the next few weeks - we do have a small backlog of recordings that need to be posted.

Again, to whomever is reading this, thank you for your patience - again, we aren't dead, just "resting."

-Recording L.A.

The Damselles & The TC4 9/15/12 - Lobsterfest, Port Of Los Angeles, San Pedro, CA.

(Photo [and recording] by M.P.)

Last Saturday, The Damselles & The TC4 brought their brand of unique and modern "doo-wop" musical stylings to Port of Los Angeles's annual Lobsterfest in San Pedro. Granted, it's been awhile since we last covered the band in June 2011, and in the meantime, having been working on their first full-length album (listen to the first single "Dig Up The Hatchet" here) This performance showcased several songs that will be included on that aforementioned album, plus one ("Baby Grown-Up) from their debut EP that was released last year as well. Setlist below:

"Intro"
Time Is Tight
Dig Up The Hatchet
Sorry No More
Game
Baby Grown-Up
He Needs Me
Move On
Man You Are
Secret
Big Kiss
Don't Be There
"Outro"

Download the full show here (MP3) A 24/48 FLAC version is available here via bittorrent. (Registration required)

 The Damselles & The TC4 - Sorry No More (live, 9/15/12) by recordingla

Sweater Girls 8/19/12 - The Echo, Los Angeles, CA.

(Photo: Sweater Girls Facebook page)

Earlier this month, Sweater Girls opened for Seapony at August 19th installment of "Part Time Punks" at the The Echo in Los Angeles. We weren't terribly familiar with Sweater Girls before this night's performance (though, the name did ring a bell), but we were pleasantly surprised by their brand of indie pop twinged with punk. They have recently released their first full-length LP Were Here..., several songs from which were showcased in tonight's set. Setlist below:

Sticks and Stones                    

Haven't Got a Clue                  
Fast Forward Time                    
Fingers Crossed                      
I'm a Little Dinosaur              
Infatuation                          
Curry Crazy                          
Pretty When You Smile                
Now You're Gone    

Download here (MP3) FLAC files available by request.

 Sweater Girls - Pretty When You Smile (live, 8/19/12) by recordingla

Seapony 8/19/12 - The Echo, Los Angeles, CA.

                             

(Photo: Seapony Facebook page)

This past Sunday night, Seapony headlined The Echo's weekly "Part Time Punks" series. Seapony's music, mainly their 2011 debut release Go With Me, has been in heavy rotation at Recording L.A. headquarters for quite some time, and we were happy to see the Seattle-based band back in town after touring here almost a year ago (we caught their in-store set at Origami Vinyl) - so, this show was quite a treat. Featuring a mix of older songs and new ones from their upcoming LP Falling, the show was a great showcase of their "new-wave shoegaze"-type sound, capped off by an encore of The Field Mices' "Emma's House." (P.S. - if you like what you hear here, I encourage you to check out the releases from their old band Transmittens) Setlist below:

Sailing

So Low                      
I Really Do                  
Be Alone                    
No One Will                
Prove to Me                  
Blue Star                    
Sunlight                    
Dreaming                    
With You                    
What You Wanted            
What You See                
Nobody Knows              
E: Emma's House

Download (MP3) here.

 Seapony - With You (live, 8/19/12) by recordingla 

Jesca Hoop 8/11/12 - Zoey's Cafe, Ventura, CA.

(Photo taken by blogger via Instagram)

It's been a long time since we last wrote about Jesca Hoop - well, January 2011 as a matter of fact. In the ensuing time, Ms. Hoop released her third full-length album The House That Jack Built back in June, and is currently finishing up a mostly West Coast-area tour to promote it. Tonight's stop at Zoey's Cafe in Ventura was a very intimate one with a crowd of approx 30-40 seated people, and highly reminiscent of her Hotel Cafe shows of yesteryear. While her current tour does feature a band, tonight's show only consisted of Jesca on guitar, with Leslie Stevens (of L.A.-favorites Leslie and the Badgers) providing background vocals on most of the songs performed. As one of Ms. Hoop's mentors Tom Waits has said in the past, "her music is like going swimming in a lake at night," and with this show we are inclined to agree. Setlist below:

D.N.R (song incomplete, fades-in due to battery swap)

Whispering Light                          
"Banter"                                  
Murder of Birds                          
Hospital (Win Your Love)                  
The Kingdom                              
"Storytime"                              
Born To                                  
Dig This Record                          
"Banter"                                
The House That Jack Built              
Tulip                                  
"Banter/Improv song"                    
Peacemaker                              
"Banter"                                
Hunting My Dress

Stream or download the full show here.

Walking Sleep 7/29/10 - Pershing Square, Los Angeles, CA.

(Photo: Walking Sleep facebook )

This week, we are showcasing a Walking Sleep show from our archives that took place a couple of years ago at Pershing Square in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. It's been quite awhile since we've posted anything about Walking Sleep - we caught them at the 2010 Eagle Rock Music Festival and saw them at one of the January 2011 LaBrie's (R.I.P.) Monolators shows (recording not posted due to quality control issues) In the meantime, they did release last year Tarp Sessions (a compilation of E.P.'s that were literally recorded at a downtown tarp factory), of which a few of the songs were previewed at this performance. A nice little set from the band, of whom we hope to hear some news from soon. Setlist below:


What We Forgot

When the Breathing Stops
Shake the Cold
Final Chapter
Caught Alone
In a Dream
Let It Go On
Don't Be Fooled
Arso
Standing In The Threat
Needle In A Camel's Eye (Brian Eno)

Recorded by calrust.

Download here (MP3) FLAC available by request.

 Walking Sleep - Standing In The Threat (live, 7/29/10) by recordingla

Little Red Lung 6/22/12 - Center For The Arts Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA.

(Photo by Alex, via Little Red Lung's facebook)

Last Friday, Little Red Lung headlined the Center For The Arts Eagle Rock (openers Pisces previously posted about here) for a celebration of the the release of their new music video for "50 Fingers" (screened before the performance) As the reader may recall, we covered Little Red Lung back in January, which we thought was quite a good show - and tonight's was no exception, featuring an "extended" set that showcased material from their debut self-titled E.P. and newer material, along with the addition of several musicians, adding more layers to their live performance. Feed Your Head had an excellent write-up on the show as well. Setlist below:


50 Fingers                
Dead Weight              
Porcupine Sheet            
Bad Blood                  
Into a Landfill          
Fangs                    
Get on the Boat            
Little Drop of Poison (Tom Waits cover)
Ink Blot                  
Rare Bird        

Download here (MP3) FLAC files available by request.

 Little Red Lung - Get on the Boat (live, 6/22/12) by recordingla

Pisces 6/22/12 - Center For The Arts Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA. (Happy Hollows-related)

(Photo by Zoe-Ruth Erwin, from Pisces facebook page)

Last Friday, Pisces (the side-project of The Happy Hollows  front-woman Sarah Negahdari, which includes the members of that band) opened for Little Red Lung at the Center For The Arts Eagle Rock. Both bands were celebrating releases - for Pisces, it was their debut E.P. Flower Toes. Awhile back, we did a post on Sarah Negahdari and the Sad Solids, which could be seen as a previous incarnation of Pisces (some of the songs are the same) For more on the show, check out Feed Your Head's excellent review. Setlist below:


Voodoo                      
Glen Echo                  
Paint a Rocket              
Tell Me                    
Ragdoll                    
Driver                    
Punch Love Drunk        
Being With You*        
Wicked Fin*              
Flower Toes      


*w/Little Red Lung's Zoe-Ruth Erwin on vocals)           


Download here (MP3) FLAC files available by request.


 Pisces - Driver (live, 6/22/12) by recordingla 

Pageants 6/16/12 - Make Music Pasadena (Old Town Pub Stage), Pasadena, CA.

Part four in a series.

(sorry, that's the best picture we could get)

In our final post (?) in our coverage of 2012 Make Music Pasadena, we present Pageants, the duo of former Avi Buffalo member Rebecca Coleman and Devin O’Brien, (though, this evening's show had an the addition of a drummer, thus making it a "trio") who describe their music as "reflect[ing] the laid-back, sun-drenched attitude of their hometown while maintaining a pathos that stems from quiet introspection" with "a sound that’s effortless and ethereal," and also earning high praise from KCRW in the form of "gorgeous soaring vocals with a familiar garage-y sound" and "layers of mellow guitars, hooky melodies and Coleman’s infectious croon." Good enough for us.


This show took place in a crowded, noisy, somewhat boomy room, and the recording may reflect that. Setlist below:


Words As Pictures                     
Deep Ring                          
Musings of the Tide                
The Doves                          
Cacti For Clothes                  
Edible Dust                        
No Wonder        

Download here (MP3) FLAC files available by request.

 Pageants - Cacti for Clothes (live, 6/16/12) by recordingla

Judson 6/16/12 - Make Music Pasadena (Majestical Roof Courtyard Stage), Pasadena, CA.

Part three in a series.

Continuing on with our coverage of this year's installment of Make Music Pasadena, up now is Judson (among who's members are familiar faces John Seasons and Jillinda Palmer) Judson is the brainchild of    Judson McKinney, who has performed in Los Angeles under at least of couple of incarnations (with his wife Mary, they released In the hands of the sun as "Judson and Mary") Judson's music has been described as "folk-tinged songwriting  reflect all the restlessness and romance of driving a van cross-country" and their live shows as "back[ing] his image-heavy songs with a full band, complete with violins and alternating electric and acoustic guitar work, and the combination has made him one of the more compelling live acts around" - which was in evidence in this afternoon performance, which we considered one of the highlights of the festival overall. Most of today's set was taken from their December 2011 full-length release Drink the Wine.

For our L.A. readers, Judson is performing tonight at the Troubadour, along with Tenlons Fort and Torches.

Setlist below:


People Grow Up So Slow                
Picture of a Child at Heart          
Sweet Autumn Headlight              
Tomorrow Blues                        
Dear Marianne                        
Celia                                
When You Wake Up                    
???          

Download here (MP3) FLAC files available by request.

 Judson - Picture of a Child at Heart (live, 6/16/12) by recordingla   

One Trick Pony 6/16/12 - Make Music Pasadena (Majestical Roof Courtyard Stage), Pasadena, CA.

Part two in a series.

Continuing in our coverage of last weekend's annual installment of Make Music Pasadena, we move along to One Trick Pony, who performed in the middle of the afternoon. It's been quite awhile since we've caught One Trick Pony (outside of last year's tribute to "The Movies" and Undercovered III earlier this year), but this show did not disappoint. Since the former however, the band has released their first full-length album Try Not To Worry So Much, which has been described as "deliver[ing] sharp lyrics and soft melodic vocals paired with louder instrumentation."  So, enjoy this show, which may contain references to a dead cat and forgotten merch. Sorry, no setlist.

Download here (MP3) FLAC files available by request.

 One Trick Pony - Loose Talk (6/16/12) by recordingla

Correatown 6/16/12 - Make Music Pasadena (Majestical Roof Courtyard Stage), Pasadena, CA.

Part one in a series.

Last Saturday was the annual installment of Make Music Pasadena, arguably the biggest outdoor music festival in the city (and certainly the least costly - several stages of music scattered throughout town going all day for free) We kick off our coverage with Correatown, Angela Correa's band which has been a fixture in the local scene for some time, and has described itself as "reverberating layers of washy guitars, beautiful harmonies, growling fuzzed out analog synths and a melodious voice" that "has evolved into a lush and textured experience of melodic soundscapes." 

Today's performance mainly consisted of songs from her most recent release, 2011's Pleiades, with a new song "Distillery" debuted towards the end. A fun show for sure, including a "barking dog war" that popped up in between songs (which prompted some remarks from Ms. Correa herself) Setlist below:

"Introduction"                  
Valparasio                    
Play                          
Everything, All At Once      
The Point                  
Meridians                    
La Serena                    
Distillery                  
Further

Download here (MP3) FLAC files available by request.

 Correatown - Play (live, 6/16/12) by recordingla