The Franks 7/19/10 - Spaceland, Los Angeles, CA.

(Photo: The Franks Facebook)

Last week, The Franks (along with The Monolators) opened for the 3rd night of Summer Darling's Monday night residency at Spaceland. The Franks are a 3-piece punk trio based in Los Angeles who just completed a tour of the West Coast (with tonight's show being the final stop and a "homecoming" of sorts) We weren't terribly familiar with The Franks previous to this performance, but must say we were pleasantly surprised with what we heard.

A little over half of their setlist was dedicated to covering in entirety their semi-recently released E.P. Duh, with a few other previously released and newer songs. Combined with a dose of possible self-deprecating banter (the song "Call Me" was introduced as being based on a story of coming home and seeing that a person you knew left a note on your door to call them, and when you call them you discover that person is dead - it doesn't sound as bleak when you listen to it, trust me), it was an attention-grabbing show for sure. We will try to catch The Franks again in the future.

1.) Cough It Up MP3
2.) ??? MP3
3.) Please, Please MP3
4.) Talk Soup MP3
5.) Jesus, Jesus MP3
6.) Call Me MP3
7.) In The City MP3
8.) Ray Gunn Radio MP3
9.) Health Sciences MP3
10.) My Friends MP3
Text File

FLAC (lossless) files available by request.

The Monolators 7/19/10 - Spaceland, Los Angeles, CA.

(Photo: Ben Golomb, via The Monolators Myspace)

(Update: Track 4 has a name. Thanks commenter!)

Earlier this week, The Monolators shared the bill with Summer Darling on the 3rd night of their latter's Monday night residency at Spaceland. This was a special show because they are going on hiatus and will be the last one for awhile (until they release their upcoming double EP in the fall), and a unique show because they performed as a 4-piece (because one of their band members sustained injuries in an bicycle accident) Oddly enough, this show is a milestone of sorts for this blog as well - while we have featured The Monolators acoustically, doing an all ABBA cover set, and in other collaborations (Cobra Lilies, When Captain Geech Met Teardrop), and even being covered by other bands - we have never gotten a regular full-band show of theirs, until now.

Tonight's setlist covered the gauntlet of The Monolators' catalog - one song from 2004's Rejection Set Me Free ("Summertime In My Car" - which was played as a nod to band-in-residency Summer Darling), a couple from 2006's Our Tears Have Wings, one from the 2007 EP You Look Good On The Train, one from 2008's LP Don't Dance, and a few from the previously-mentioned upcoming double EP. It was a very fun show, culminating in several audience/other band members joining them onstage as a collaborative "human glockenspiel" for "Let's Be Best Friends In Space." This performance should serve as a holdover until The Monolators return to the stage in the near future.

More pictures of the show can be found on LAist.

1.) Introduction MP3
2.) You Look Good On The Train MP3
3.) 14 Degrees MP3
4.) Pickup Ford MP3
5.) Silver Cities MP3
6.) Ruby, I'm Changing My Number MP3
7.) Summertime In My Car MP3
8.) Don't Dance MP3
9.) Let's Be Best Friends In Space MP3
Text File

FLAC (lossless) files available by request.