Hello, February...The Henry Clay People

No one says "Happy Monday" like the Echo...

Except for when it's The Henry Clay People saying "Happy Monday and February."

FIRST ENCOUNTER: Mr. T's Bowl, Winter 2006, approximately twelve people in attendance (including the band)

LAST ENCOUNTER

: Rain-in collision, Dec. 2007

SINCE THEN

: LA TimesBuzz Band, as of January


CONCLUSION: My my, how you've grown...


They just don't make Highland Park boys like they used to...
(sup 8 Bit)

Artist to Watch: Brother Bird/The Perk-O-Lator

I figure since J.B. is still unsigned (I think), it may be more appropriate to let him describe himself. From the Brother Bird page @ Virb.com:

"Brother Bird is JB (Jonathan Brokaw) making music with help from his friends [Cody Coffey {Regal Standard}, Doby Watson {Boo Hiss}, Austin Swearengin {Parsen}, and Matthew Hoppock {Manipulator Alligator} ]. Brother Bird is beautiful music about beautiful things and not-so-beautiful things still being important and having their own quality of beauty. Brother Bird is music that reflects the foreshadowing of a dark future with the backdrop of hope slivering down the back of a 7 headed snake with the acid-drenched claws of a vegetarian falcon at it's side."

Thanks to Virb.com for bringing me such great music.
It's clear from the YouTube video (below) that this kid is pretty young, but in no way does his age seem to dictate his talent. I get a lot of bullshit requests for Orphan via the Virb.com page: This kid was one of the first, and still remains one of the best. I'd say, top 3. Something big's gonna happen here, mark my words.


MP3 Download:
Brother Bird - Lemon Scented Sheets

Amoeba In-Store: Vampire Weekend, Monday February 4th

Amoeba's just full of 'em lately. In the past couple months we've seen Band of Horses, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Kate Nash, Sia, and now Vampire Weekend. I think it's a pretty dumb name for a band because it doesn't make any sense (but I guess there are other things that I'm into that don't make any sense, like that Gossip Girl show, but whatever that's not what this is about). Anyway, yea, there's something not normal about their music. Rolling Stone'll tell you it's cause they've got "a suave sound that incorporates ska, New Wave and Afro-pop", a combination of genres that makes even less sense in my mind than Puffy and Sting, but I'll have to agree with Pitchfork when they simply state, "Vampire Weekend come along like Belle & Sebastian and the Strokes each did, sounding refreshingly laidback and uncomplicated, and with simple set-ups that make good songs sound exceedingly easy. (The result being not "this is mind-blowing," or "this is catchy," but "I have listened to this, straight through, four times a day for the past month".)"

Entrance and Moonrats @ the Knitting Factory--6 bucks for two shows.

Entrance is totally awesome. He put out this album called Prayer of Death in like 2006 that totally owns every other album put out in 2006. I've never seen the Entrance Band but I'm told they're even better and that I'm about to be blown away or some shit like that.

Download Entrance's Grim Reaper Blues here.

Now, Moonrats is ex-members of Your Enemies Friends and Pretty Girls Make Graves, and it makes me super stoked to write about them cause the bass player/keyboard player is my best friend from high school. And they're good.

Listen to FLM by Moonrats:



The bass player/singer from Crystal Antlers used to live across the street from me when I lived at the Booby Trap. I was really surprised to meet someone in that house who wasn't a piece of shit so I tried to get him to move into my house but as soon as he realized that no one in their right mind would live even 3 blocks from EITHER of these places, he was gone.

Listen to Crystal Antlers here.

A little note about the flyer: it was created by another OCHSA alum, Mr. Luke McGarry, who is 1/3 of Orange County electro-pop outfit Pop Noir. The kid also does a ton of artwork for shit like L.A. Record and the District Weekly, and you've probably seen his work in other places. It's good though huh?

The point of all this: if you feel like being blown away, get your ass to the Knitting Factory on Thursday, pay 6 bucks, and prepare to be stoked. I'd be there if I didn't live so fucking far away.

(for more good shit in your inbox, subscribe to the orphan review RSS feed .)

A Message From OPEN: Join Us, Tomorrow (Jan. 29th)!

Please come and join us for the cutest night in the history of fourth street.

live jams by:
the year zero
katie the pest
yellow fever (austin, texas)

spinning of tunes (and dreams) by:
apparitions of the past

vegan cupcakes by:
the baby ghost (aka mo$!)

love and literature:
open books


we love you...you love us....

let's spend the evening together

beginning @ 9pm

suggested donation: $5

tom cat makes orphan laugh. let him make you laugh, too.

I'm sorry dudes, but I really just needed a laugh. See, my rental car got towed, my mom got pissed, my mohawk-sporting sort of boyfriend was like, 4 timing me (for the 4th time) but it's all good cause it was my fault for falling for his bullshit again... anyway, that's not the point. The point is that if you happen to make the uninformed decision that I did a few months ago (dating dudes with mohawks is a bad idea), or the informed one I made a couple months later (dating dudes with mohawks is still a bad idea), or the even more informed one I made a few months after that (you should never date dudes that have mohawks), look to this to dry your tears (or at least to turn 'em into the kind you get from laughing too hard):



Let's keep in mind that I don't care about Tom Cruise in the tabloids (I meaning C4 and Orphan Records--we don't care...) and I don't care about the whole Scientology thing. What I do care about is when shits funny. And this shits funny. You should watch it. Because even if it doesn't cheer you up, it will most definitely make you smile. And if you look at it often enough, you'll be smiling more than you're not smiling, which means it will have cheered you up. See how that goes?


This is the end of my Wonder Years episode post and I'm sorry I promise I'll never do it again. But at least I'm smilin' now.
Maybe.


moar funny pictures
Steer clear of the hawk,
c4

STP Reunion

The dye is out of my hair. But I am still making this quick.

According to Billboard, the 90's are definitely back. Vice Magazine's been preaching it for years, as well as our own C4 - but now, it's set in stone.

The deal-breaker?

Former 90's staple group Stone Temple Pilots will be reuniting for a summer reunion tour con side project bass player Slash.

I don't know if you guys understand this. I mean, if you know me well in person you may understand the gravity of this reunion in terms of my own sanity. I cannot fully disclose the extent to which this reunion will affect me without fully jeopardizing my reputation. Let's just say that Scott Weiland and I go a long way back. I will do my best to repress my hormones with this blog.

Troubled singer Scott Weiland went public with his ongoing heroin addition around the time STP released its third album "Tiny Music," circa '96 - '97. Weiland's reportedly been in rehab 14781yhwehf894595 times since then and also replaced Britneyclone Axl Rose to form a gutter-rock band Velvet Revolver who sound nothing like Guns 'N Roses.

Weiland is married to a foxy model named Mary Fonsberg who was featured in Velvet Revolver video Fall to Pieces. Despite constantly kicking each others' asses and getting arrested, the two seem to be getting along well. She burned his clothes a while back - blaming that damn bipolar disorder again - and has since said she's sorry. They live in Malibu with their two children, Noah and Lucy.

The news here on the home front is lookin pretty good kiddies.
It's gonna be a fancy day.

Quick Orphan // Go Now

I've got L'Oreal dye on my head, I've gotta make this snappy. Because I'm worth it.

1. Upsilon Acrux played a free show last night at Spaceland, marking the end of their Sunday residency.

The boys will be playing at the Smell tomorrow (Tuesday). I will not be going because I think I have something to do. Captain Beefheart calls.

2. Some crazy girl Orphan has been avidly following The Icarus Line and Tweak Bird all around town, the former since the beginning of time (read: high school) and the later since its inception.

The Gods are speaking to me.

Unfortunately I lost my ID in my boyfriend's room, although he argues otherwise. His room is like a vortex - so you tell me. I guess I'll be nice to the door guy.

3. Little Joy finally started carding. Last standing Silverlake dive... Nother one bites the dust.

4. Annie Harding is the second coming. It's been proven.

5.
* Annie in background with Icarus Line

P.S. Legos are 50 years old toay. Happy Birthday.

Orphan Updates: New Releases, and Orphan in the South of France

You guys know what MIDEM is? It's this music trade show that according to wikipedia, "bring[s] together musicians, businesspeople, cultural policy makers, and journalists from many countries, provides a forum for business talks, discussing political and legal issues, and showcasing new artists, musical trends and music-related products." I say it's a really great excuse to book it to the south of France (Cannes, to be more precise,) in the middle of winter. As of yesterday, that's where you'll find Miss Hannigan (a.k.a. Michael Mangia) for the next week or so. We put together some Orphan Records samplers and Michael took 'em to France serenade & to charm the pants off of the music industry. This means more Orphan updates are in store. Here's what's up with everyone else:

Fascinoma
Miss Alanna Lin & Orphan Records will be releasing the Fascinoma debut, entitled Music for Heroes, sometime in March 2008. It includes a cover of a Paula Abdul song and has a picture of a dogicorn (read: dog + unicorn) on the front. The whole thing is really, really good, so get excited and check back for updates--we'll let you know when you can order it. In the meantime, check out a Fascinoma show.

Eagle and Talon
Eagle and Talon are also in the mixing stages of a follow-up to the Eagle and Talon Cares E.P., which will be available in stores in the late Spring. Subscribe to the Orphan Review RSS feed to stay updated on Eagle and Talon shows, preview exclusive tracks, and hear more specific details on the next Eagle and Talon release! And if you've never seen them live, your next chance steadily approaches!

Colorforms
Watch the Colorforms perform 'Green & White Stripes,' off of their upcoming LP (which is as of yet untitled, but currently in its final mixing stages!) Also check out their hot new photos.


Michael Mangia
Like I said, Michael is in France--but before he left, he was doing the usual--making magic in the studio--and here's a sneak peak! This is a rough mix of a new track called 'The Trap'.

What I have to say about it: Kudos to Michael for creating such a masterpiece, and I can't wait to hear more. Subscribe to the Orphan Review RSS feed to get the updates as soon as I do.

In the meantime, visit us on the web!
Become a fan of Orphan Records and The Orphan Review on Facebook!

Facebook: Fascinoma Eagle and Talon Colorforms Michael Mangia

MySpace: Orphan Records Fascinoma Eagle and Talon Colorforms Michael Mangia

Virb.com: Orphan Records Fascinoma Eagle and Talon Colorforms Michael Mangia

ilike: Orphan Records Fascinoma Eagle and Talon Colorforms Michael Mangia

Other sites:
Orphan on Going.com
Orphan on Upcoming.org
Orphan on Flickr
Orphan on last.fm

The results of a YouTube Overdose: Zounds and The Plasmatics

Hey do you guys like Crass? Ok then you'll totally dig these guys. They're called Zounds, and they're this post-punk band from the UK with an anarchist edge a la Crass but a bit of a darker sound. Like if that crusty punk could also be goth, then you'd have Zounds. Sorry if this shit's common knowledge--personally I don't know how I went through a Crass phase and missed these guys. I feel cheated or something. At any rate, I got this little gem from a friend of mine who goes on these youtube kicks and spends like hours just streaming music videos. (Apparently he still has an original Zounds single, pictured to the right, released in 1981.) Now, I know we all know people that have that same addiction, but [in my experience] I find it a rare occurrence that these people will actually play anything that's GOOD. This is good. Even if it does sound almost a little too much like Crass.

Another good result of last night's youtube overdose: this clip of The Plasmatics on the Tom Snyder show. Apparently it's widely considered to be one of the greatest television clips in history. What do you think?

I think that statement's a stretch, but I do think it rules. See, The Plastmatics had this chick singer named Wendy O., and Wendy O. was kind of amazing. I'm sure you'll agree that any chick who would come up with the condition that her band won't perform on national TV unless they get to blow up a car could pretty much be the coolest girl who ever existed. I tend to consider myself pretty awesome at times, but there's no way I would ever even think to propose that condition, let alone actually believe it would work. Wendy O. was way cooler than me. I'll admit it. 

See you cats later.

Elijah Wood To Star in Iggy Pop Biopic - 'The Passenger'

[article contributed by Kate Nacy]

Iggy Pop is widely known as the Godfather of Punk, if not the Godfather of All Things Badass. He is an animal, and he sings about menstruation. His fans chuck light bulbs and lit cigarettes at his head. Have you ever been nailed in the face with a light bulb? I doubt it.
The fact that he hasn’t dropped dead is a sheer marvel.

For an upcoming biopic about his early life entitled The Passenger, Elijah Wood was cast to depict the sinewy Stooge.

Yes, Elijah Wood. Perhaps you’ve heard of him? The young actor has lent his talent to controversial film projects such as Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, The Adventures of Tom Thumb & Thumbelina and Flipper. Additionally, he is responsible for making my two-sizes-too-small heart melt every time I think of wagons and domestic abuse.
Elijah Wood is made of marshmallows and sunshine, Kumbaya and circle jerks.

Iggy Pop is made of opiates and bathroom floors, abs and sodomy.

MDMA was undoubtedly involved in the making of this decision. Only under the influence of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine would someone be disoriented enough to believe that the repugnantly cherubic Wood might somehow capture the raw grime of Iggy Pop, a man responsible for songs including “Cock in My Pocket” and “Butt Town.”

To his credit, Elijah Wood is probably a cool enough guy. I could even see myself hanging out with him. Just Eli and I, sitting in bean bag chairs and talking about the Stone Roses while we smoke pineapple-flavored tobacco and play pogs.

But it would always come back to this: no matter how long I stared into his marble-sized eyes and admired his microscopic pores, no matter how long I listened to his geeky, self conscious hee-haw of a laugh and watched him fiddle with his horn-rimmed glasses, I would still really want to see Frodo take one in the face with a light bulb. It’s something I just can’t get past.


*The Passenger is still in production, but due for release sometime this summer.

ORPHAN REVIEW RECOMMENDS: 3 Cures for Boredom in the OC

So I recently moved to Orange County. I know, I know, but spare me the shock and stupid comments. Please.

Truth is, that not having roommates to hang with and living in a house I don't have to spend 26 out of 24 hours per day cleaning, I don't have much to do. I've been taking lots of showers and doing lots of laundry, but you can't do that forever. So here's how I've been entertaining myself in the wee hours of the morning. Cause you all know I'm awake then.

1. Online TV. My personal favorites:

• AdultSwim.com
• HULU
• FunnyOrDie.com

2. Tabloid TV shows. Yea, there's a TV in my house now, so I can watch shows like TMZ on FOX, which allow me to worry about the important issues in life. Like:

• Heath Ledger's suicide
• Britney's bipolar disorder
• Tom Brady's broken foot
• and most importantly, why is this video called "Amy Winehouse CAUGHT smoking crack on camera!" when it should really just read "Amy Winehouse smokes crack for the camera!"?

3. THE COACHELLA LINEUP. You've all seen it already, but holy crap it is going to be the best 3 days of the year. The only downside might be the influx of middle-aged, ex-hippies (a.k.a. your dad) due to Roger Waters' Dark Side of the Moon set. But you'll probably be on too much acid to notice.


press play:

FREE SHOW: Earthless @ Mt. Bar

Earthless
Originally uploaded by Sumlin

The last time I saw Earthless they thrashed for 21 minutes straight without even a water break.

The last time I went to the Mt. Bar was awkward because the ex and the restraining order I had against him was still active.

This Saturday's FREE Earthless show at Mt. Bar = recipe for success?

Duh.


Move over Neal Peart. You wanna stellar drummer? I've been following San Diego.. San Diegon.. San Diegonian Mario Rubalcaba since his Ruby Mars days with Rockets from the Crypt. Since then the boys racked up a pretty fair roster: Clikatat Ikatowi, Thingy, The Black Heart Procession, Hot Snakes, Sea of Tombs, the Sultans , and Pinback.

MOM!! Can I trade in this one??!! He's broken.

Psychedelia equals guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, bassist Mike Eginton, and newly currently idolized by me prolific drummer Mario Rubalcaba. (I mean, define "betrothed" ... and "crazy," for that matter. I mean, really...).

P.S. I love how a possibly 50 year-old man-written article on Wikipedia considers 21 minutes-long an "unusually lengthy instrumental songs."

C'mon, Wikipedia. 37 minutes if for the youth. Next stop 47.
Get with it.

I'm not gonna lie: I like Datarock

I know we're all sick of the sudden surge in foreign DJ groups (Justice, CSS, and so on and so forth...) but um, I'm gonna plug another one for you. Datarock is rad. I heard the song Computer Camp Love on the radio the other day, which is probably the stupidest song ever, but I just thought I'd mention that I TOTALLY LOVE IT. And it totally quotes 'Tell Me More' from the Grease soundtrack. Sweet. So I bought the Norwegian duo's debut release Datarock Datarock for one song. Consensus: it's got a couple of pretty rad jams and musically most of it is pretty good, but for the most part it's predictable and shitty, and I want to kick the singer in the face. Definitely worth checking out.

DOWNLOAD
Datarock - Computer Camp Love (MP3)

ORPHAN RECOMMENDS: The Valley Arena

The Valley Arena is Chris Stevens, Michael Nielsen, David South, and Warren Woodward. Straight outta the LBC, they're reminiscent of the shit you listened to when you were like 16, like Vaya era At The Drive In and The Make Up or Engine Down or Drive Like Jehu or something. Really fucking good. Now, to be fair, I do live in Long Beach and I do know these guys, but I'm not the only one singing their praise. I usually hate going to see my friends' bands play, even if they're playing with the likes of Joe Lally (Fugazi) and Dos. But I went to the CD release show for Sesso.Vita (on Anodyne Records) at Alex's Bar in Long Beach a couple months ago, and I was strangely captivated. Their sound is astoundingly tight & polished, and the show was unexpectedly full of energy. I actually found myself unable to concentrate on the projection of The Young Ones they were showing on the wall next to the stage. Dudes are good. Trust me. Or see for yourself, because after another show at Alex's Bar (Feb. 15th), The Valley Arena will set out for SXSW and a follow with a short tour. Here's their itinerary:

In the meantime, check for updates on The Valley Arena myspace page, watch this YouTube video of the song 'Paint it Red', and buy the album Sesso.Vita.

Hullo Gorgeous: Dev Haynes makes his appearance

One of my oldest IRL friends (read: IN REAL LIFE friends) made it to Pitchfork.

This means one of two things.

ONE) One of my oldest IRL friends made it to Pitchfork.
TWO) I am getting very old.

Dev (or "V-E-D," as we insiders like to call him), is a Texas-born lad who relocated to England when he was a a young lad. He somehow managed to adapt the thickest Cockney-mangled accent I've ever heard, making speaking on the phone with him a nearly impossible endeavor.

The last time we spoke he used the final few minutes of his prepaid phone card.

Here's to you my dear Lightspeed Champion, may you forever have enough minutes:

Make sure you're ALREADY LOGGED INTO MySpace when you go to this link ... because I am about to be one proud little American girl.

Stream the new Black Mountain record RIGHT NOW: or, Why MySpace Sucks Less and Less Everyday

The people at MySpace Music totally have something up their sleeves. If I remember correctly, and I usually do, the music section on myspace was the biggest piece of crap ever, and definitely the last place I'd go to hear a new track or to look up an artist (last.fm was the first). Times, they are a'seriously changin, because over the past week MySpace has offered streamable, advanced, and complete album previews that're pretty bangin, if I do say so myself (think Xiu Xiu, Magnetic Fields, & The Breeders).

The latest piece of good stuff I've bumped into on MySpace: You can now stream the new Black Mountain LP, (Jagjaguwar) In The Future, in its entirety. So if you're about to pee your pants with the anticipation of its release (January 22nd) then save yourself some embarassment and do one less load of laundry: Listen to In The Future right now.

Black Mountain - Angels

Let them eat Cake: Kate Nash @ Amoeba

Everyone's been comparing this little piece of hotness to the likes of Lily Allen or Lethal Bizzle. I just think I like her more than chocolate cake?
(Yeah man, I don't know where I was going with that one either. I kinda just accept it.)

Lady Kate Nash performed a free show last night at Amoeba only hours before her sold out debut at the Troubadour. I posted about this earlier last week but for some reason the blog never showed up. I don't know why. Quite frankly, one of my New Year's resolutions was to rekindle my bitter relationship with blogger... and quite frankly, I don't know how well it's working. Maybe I should go eat worms.

Dude, home videos are rough... Click below to observe. God bless camera phones.

Nash's 'Foundations' was the 17th highest-selling single in the U.K. in 2007, released on Fiction Records (home of Elbow) in July of same year. Rock on sista.

The New Goldfrapp Video Totally Sucks. Alela Diane's 'The Rifle' Does Not.

Ok, I can't hold back on this anymore. I was pretty disappointed with the new Goldfrapp album and when I saw the new video I was even more disappointed. It sucks, and there's no way around it. I mean...was it done by the same person who did the Bat For Lashes video that ruled so hard? If so, someone should tell that director to try a different tactic. Random leaf monsters just aren't as cool as random bike dancers dressed up in big fuzzy animal costumes. Duh. And while I was considering this fact, my friend sent me this:

# 79.2 - ALELA DIANE - THE RIFLE
Uploaded by lablogotheque

This girl's named Alela Diane, and I'll be honest with you--I'm not particularly fond of your run of-the-mill female folk artists, but it's the video that makes her sound work for me. Want more? download some free tracks via daytrotter.

New Magnetic Fields: Distortion, out January 15th

The Magnetic Fields' 8th album (and #2 for Nonesuch Records), Distortion, is a pretty big departure from their traditional sound. It isn't boring and it isn't predictable. Distortion is not your standard indie rock album. The group re-visits the dream-like, weightlessness that can be found on 69 Love Songs, Vol. 1.

Fielder Stephin Merritt (also known for the 6ths, the Future Bible Heroes, and the Gothic Archies) says, "I wanted to make a record of three-minute pop songs, then they turned into three-minute power-pop songs. The previous Magnetic Fields record had been self-consciously soft rock, with all the songs starting with the letter 'i.' The idea here was to make this record quickly and use the same instrumentation on every song. And if I had to use the same instrumentation all the time, what would I want it to sound like? Well, like the first Jesus and Mary Chain album! So I attempted to adapt the sound of Psychocandy to the orch-pop reality of the Magnetic Fields, where we have a pianist and a cellist. And the occasional accordionist." Do these comments make anyone else extremely happy? Just me? Whatever.

I might be alone in my sentiments, but it's inconsequential because the whole album can be streamed on the Magnetic Fields' myspace profile and I promise that you'll love it. Honestly I don't give a shit if you don't, it just means you're crazy and you have shitty taste in music. Disagree with me--I dare you--but make sure to catch the New Yorkers on their upcoming tour. If you live and die in L.A., that'll be March 2nd and 3rd at the Henry Fonda, and it'll cost you about 30 bucks. Hopefully this time the 30 bucks won't be a waste of money and you won't get five people on a dark stage talking about esoteric bullshit. Cause that's what I got when I took my boyfriend for his birthday like 4 years ago, and he wasn't the brightest star in the sky so he really didn't understand most of what they were talking about. Kind of overshadowed the fact that they didn't play a single song I knew.