Beneath The Underdog: Mitski/Eskimeaux live

MITSKI

ESKIMEAUX

KITTY

THE ECHO, LA

02 JULY, 2015

Mitski

Eskimeaux

It took a bill the like of Elvis Depressedly, Mitski, and Eskimeaux to get me to make a mid-work week sojourn to the Echo, in Echo Park, LA, and it was a trip well worth making, as the trio of bands winds their way down the west coast before heading to the desert. Making the return trip up the coast in time for work meant selling out the headliner, so much apologies to Elvis Depressedly, and we'll look forward to their return. Kitty was added on as opener, and she did her damnedest to get the party started, making the best of a borrowed computer and a more rock oriented crowd. Kitty faced them down with her laptop anthems, faring better on the uptempo numbers ("Marijuana"). Downtempo "Florida" seemed overlooked by the talkers in the audience, but was the standout of the set.

With the just-released It's Ok under her belt, Eskimeaux (Gabrielle Smith) took the form of a band, including Told Slant as drummer, and they proceeded to shred the well-produced LP versions of the tracks, investing them with an unexpected vigor. Kicking off with "Alone At The Party" and "Folly", Eskimeaux exerted full control on "The Thunder Answered Back", and it's always impressive to see a supporting act pull off a singalong, "Broken Necks", but by then the spell was cast. Finishing up with "I Admit I'm Scared", Eskimeaux raised a considerable bar for the evening.

If there was a person up to the challenge, it would be Mitski Miyawaki, whose late 2014 release Bury Me At Makeout Creek has been a staple all through this year. The album marked a shift from the orchestrated grandeur of her first two LP's to a more guitar-based approach, while not sacrificing her singular songwriting. In the current lineup, Mitski plays bass and anchors, in every sense, a powerful trio. Kicking off with "Townie" and "First Love, Late Spring", it was alternatively funny and harrowing, with "Francis Forever" and "I Don't Smoke" also standing out as highlights. The towering "Drunk Walk Home" ruled all, and her closing cathartic screams seemed to mark a natural end to the set. Who the hell could top that. But Mitski carried on, breaking out "Class of 2013" from her previous LP, Retired From Sad, New Career In Business, and finished up new LP closer "Last Words of a Shooting Star", a mic drop in song form if ever there was. It was one of those nights that sold out for a reason.

MITSKI

ESKIMEAUX

KITTY

Squad House Wins Again...

ROSES

DUNES
SANDLOT
DYGL

SQUAD HOUSE, EAST LA

27 JUNE, 2015

DYGL takes it to the air...

Another Saturday night in East LA, swinging wide around the prowling ice cream trucks in the shadow of Roosevelt High...it's an area whose contributions to music are constantly overlooked, but remains, generation after generation, a cauldron of creation. Our introduction to Squad House came last year, with a dynamite house party bill featuring Radiator Hospital, Upset, Benny The Jet Rodriguez, and Girlpool. This latest edition focused on LA, with Roses providing the firepower, and support from Dunes and Sandlot, plus special guests DYGL (Dayglow) from Tokyo, launching their first American tour.

It waa a rare treat to have a whole bill of bands I haven't seen, and Sandlot got the evening buzzing. The brutal  and focused guitar trio provided the perfect soundtrack to the slow throb of planes leaving LAX, creasing the palms en route to the beyond. Dunes followed up with a solid set. Lacking their bass player, who was pulling a shift at UPS, the drummer seemed hell bent on single-handedly making up for his absence. Roses was the the centerpiece of the evening, and it was fascinating to hear the playing of Juan Velasquez, (ex-Abe Vigoda), in a different context. Working in a dance-pop vein, without a drummer, the depth to the songs begs for a well-deserved crossover success. Putting a final exclamation point on the night, Tokyo's DYGL (Dayglow) romped through their set, pulling out a Strokes cover that proved the perfect diplomatic bridge, and the amount of crowd surfers limbo-ing under powerlines in the packed driveway served as a testament to their power. All told, another raucous evening at the Squad House. Thanks again to the House, and the Braintrust, who made possible this special night.

ROSES

DUNES

SANDLOT

DYGL

Misc.