Weave! played the newly renovated Regent Theatre in Downtown L.A. on May 7. It’s among the first shows since Little Radio reached an agreement with developer Tom Gilmore to use the historic venue to host bands. Weave!’s sound carries a surf rock, B-52’s influence, mixed with unconventional harmonies and an edgy tinge. I spoke with lead singer and bassist Ivory Lee after the show. She used words like “jinky” and “inky” when describing how she’d change the indie music scene. Check it out:
State of the Independent Music Scene
Highlight Bomb
Tacoma, Washington based Highlight Bomb played a set in Los Angeles last Saturday. The group cranks out a pop-laced grunge and is currently touring much of the West. The gig was low in attendance due in large part to the band playing at around 5 o’clock in the afternoon. I spoke with all three members of the group about the difference between the Northwest music scene and other areas of the country, most notably Los Angeles. Video below:
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The Happy Hollows
The Happy Hollows played a set at The Regent Theatre in downtown L.A. last Saturday. The concert was part of the KXLU Fundraiser to help support the station and bring exposure to local indie bands. I spoke with Hollows lead singer Sarah Negahdari after the show, and she said she enjoyed the all-ages venue and wished there were more around town. She focused on local bands when responding to how she’d change the indie music scene. Short concert clip with interview in the video below:
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Weatherground
I was going to make it a lazy evening at home one night last week, but I figured I’d hop online to check out bands playing within walking distance of my apartment. Ten seconds into the first song heard on Weatherground’s MySpace page (a tune titled “Question”), and I knew I was going to see their show instead. Lead singer Jaewon Choe has the kind of voice you can listen to often – early Peter Murphy meets Kurt Cobain is a fair metaphor. He said he’s had people come up to him at shows and say “I didn’t expect an Asian guy to sound like that.” Choe grew up in Pasadena, and he said he usually doesn’t get an answer when he asks, with a smile, what they expected an Asian guy to sound like. While I spoke with him after the band’s set, a number of people stepped up to say how impressed they were with Weatherground’s sound. In addition to a great live show, the band’s current CD is exceptionally well produced. As I’ve heard studio albums of lesser quality, I was stunned to find out the band did it themselves. Below are video clips of Weatherground’s set and a short interview with Jaewon Choe.
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Vivian Girls in Los Angeles
Vivian Girls is a three piece all girl band that’s made an impressive showing on the indie music scene. The trio formed in early 2007 and is now touring the U.S. and U.K. The video below is from a recent show I went to at The Smell and includes a short interview with members of the band. As you’ll see, they’re live show kicks ass:
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