Manhattan Murder Mystery 10/02/10 - 12th Annual Eagle Rock Music Festival (The Ship Stage), Los Angeles, CA.

(Photo: Manhattan Murder Mystery myspace)

Part 2 in a series.

Last Saturday (along with the previously-posted Seasons), Manhattan Murder Mystery played as part of this year's line-up at the 12th annual Eagle Rock Music Festival. We aren't exactly strangers to the music of Manhattan Murder Mystery (having heard a couple of their songs covered at previous "Undercovered" shows) or their front-man Matthew Teardrop (who was part of the band collaboration "When Captain Geech Met Teardrop" at last year's incarnation of this festival) - however, this is the first time we gotten a recording of one of their performances. Manhattan Murder Mystery has been a fixture on the Silverlake/Echo Park/Highland Park music scene for quite some time, with other writers saying that "every Manhattan Murder Mystery show is like a battle royal...A wonderful, scummy battle royal" (Radio Free Silverlake), "This band can really rock the hell out of a venue, but the songwriting is strong and creative and never takes second place." (Feed Your Head), and "[they] rile up crowds with an intense combination of fast, tinny drums, banjos, bongos and power-chord pop anthems that respectfully regurgitate the Pixies and the Cult [and]craft an onstage intensity through the course of their live show that’s undeniably solid, not to mention totally infectious, rowdy and engaging." (LA Weekly)

The set for this performance was a compilation of some of their more well-known songs such as "Parking Lot" (which included Mr. Teardrop's trademark stage diving and "running off" just before the song ended) Also featured was the song "Owen Hart," which was presented as "a hyper-angular guitar jangle and lyrics from the perspective of deceased wrestler Owen Hart." A fun show and great introduction to those who may be unfamiliar with their music.

1.) Smoky Mountain MP3
2.) Ambulance MP3
3.) Your Mother's Neck MP3
4.) Owen Hart MP3
5.) Parking Lot 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.

When Captain Geech Met Teardrop (feat. members of the Monolators, etc) 10/03/09 - 11th Annual Eagle Rock Music Festival-Swork Coffee, Los Angeles, CA

(Note: this show was billed simply as "Pehriscope Collaboration #3" in the Eagle Rock Music Festival program. When The Monolators first spoke about this performance, they said it may be known as "the Los Angeles Disco-Skiffle Ensemble." It was announced at the actual show however, that they were to be officially known as "When Captain Geech Met Teardrop," and that is what they will be called here.)

In our second installment of our coverage of the 11th Annual Eagle Rock Music Festival, we take a look at the performance of "When Captain Geech Met Teardrop" at Swork Coffee. There, the popular music/gallery space Pehrspace had curated "a showcase of DJ's and artists who have been involved with the non-profit, all-ages Echo Park venue since its founding in 2005. They have been selected to work together to demonstrate how cooperation - rather than competition - nurtures creative energy. Features audience collaboration, projections, and live soundtracking incorporating on-the-spot video mixing and broken-prism imagery." (per Eagle Rock Festival program)

When Captain Geech Met Teardrop features members of L.A.-based bands such as The Monolators, Seasons, Divisadero, Manhattan Murder Mystery, and Don of Don's Music. The idea of the band was based on the combined "concept" of "disco skiffle" - disco of course being a genre of dance music with funk and soul elements, and skiffle "a type of popular music with jazz, blues, folk and country influences, usually using homemade or improvised instruments." Two of the songs from the setlist "Jack Of Diamonds" and "Cumberland Gap" by "main skiffle hero" Lonnie Donegan paid tribute to the skiffle side of the band, while "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" by Baccara took care of the disco side.

More on this show from The Monolators here and here.

1.) Introduction MP3
2.) Jack Of Diamonds (Lonnie Donegan cover) MP3
3.) The Duchess MP3
4.) Cumberland Gap (Lonnie Donegan cover) MP3
5.) "Melody" MP3
6.) Yes Sir, I Can Boogie (Baccara cover) MP3
Text File

FLAC (lossless) files available upon request (by e-mail)