New This Week: Untogether Images of the New, Moving Bughouse

Youth Lagoon - Wondrous Bughouse: I was pretty ambivalent about this one before listening; did we actually need to hear anything more from Trevor Powers after The Year of Hibernation's claustrophobic bedroom pop? I wasn't sure if the Youth Lagoon aesthetic could translate to a larger studio setting without losing its tenderness and intimacy, and to some extent I was right. But inWondrous Bughouse we see songwriting that has evolved in both composition and scope; the sound is bigger in service of providing an emotional wallop that was only hinted at previously. Powers toys with unnerving sound collages and noise throughout the record (see opener "Through Mind and Back" that wouldn't feel out of place on a Grimmrobe Incantations or Monstrous Wickedness playlist), pairing it with his unerring melodic sense. Check out that epic guitar line on the back half of "Mute": with just a handful of notes, Powers conveys that sense of earnestness and longing that is central to Youth Lagoon. The fact that it's done on such a grand scale indicates a remarkable artistic advancement - check this one out even if you weren't so fond of The Year of Hibernation.  ZN 
Recommended Tracks: "Mute", "Pelican Man", "Raspberry Cane"

The Men - New Moon: The Men’s New Moon’s album finds itself nestled in pop-punk, folk, and a classic rock sound.  New Moon’s warm sound is country-infused with a little bit of the blues.  The Men’s latest release something that provides a different with it’s country rock style songs.  It’s raw sound, and country-rock style gives justice to how good a guitar, drum, and bass can sound without electronic layering.  New Moon carries an energy that translates the group’s homage style rock.  JH  
Recommended Tracks: "Open the Door", "The Seeds", "High and Lonesome"

Chelsea Light Moving - Chelsea Light Moving: At age 54, Thurston Moore is still angsty. And right now he is taking it out on Chelsea... Chelsea Light Moving, that is; his latest project alongside three fellow New York rabble rousers (significantly younger ones, might I add). Perhaps this new lineup’s youthful energy has reinvigorated Thurston, as their self-titled eight song set boasts some of the fiercest and most anxious riffs he’s crafted in recent memory. Followers of Moore’s solo career (and “other projects”) will recognize the familiar chiming guitars, hypnotic drones, and all-around frenetic songwriting he’s become known for. Even though Sonic Youth might be dead in the water (but to quote the great poet Bieber, “never say never!”), it has become increasingly apparent throughout Thurston’s career that he truly was the hands and heart of the band that pioneered underground and indie rock. So, in conclusion: it’s not Sonic Youth... BUT IT’S GOOD ENOUGH! (and what more can you ask for?)  NA
PS: Catch CLM at the Echoplex this spring break (3/19) with Waxahatchee!
Recommended Tracks: "Empires of Time", "Alighted", "Frank O'Hara Hit"

Blue Hawaii - Untogether: Nestled somewhere between the singsongy pop of Grimes, the pulsating grooves of The Knife, and the ethereal vocal layering of Julianna Barwick lies Blue Hawaii, a promising Montreal duo that will be playing several SXSW showcases. Although Untogether is the pair's debut album, they already display a remarkable ability to craft tunes fit for headphones and the dancefloor alike. My favorite cut from the record, "In Two", begins with rich and dreamy harmonies from Raphaelle Standell-Preston (of Braids) before settling into a skittering house groove as Raphaelle's voice is manipulated beyond recognition. The track becomes "In Two II" (a separate track on the CD) at 3:25, transitioning into driving techno heavy on atmospherics, punctuated by a beautiful vocal hook from Raphaelle that closes out one of my favorite songs of the year so far. You'll be hearing a lot more about Blue Hawaii in the next few months, so get on this early.  ZN
Recommended Tracks: "In Two", "Yours to Keep", "Follow"

Suuns - Images du Futur: Suuns' second full-length release is crafted with hard, structural and muddy sounds.  Fuzzy noise induced and pedal heavy backgrounds are undrlayed to pitchy melodies that makes for an interesting sound.  The album is equal parts electronic with in its repetitive, hypnotic structures, this is added to equal parts indie rock with its heavy, yet mellow guitars and energetic drums.  Images Du Futur’s sound is a familiar one, Suun’s heavy layering of sounds and effects gives for a new approach to indie.  JH
Recommended Tracks: "Powers of Ten", "2020", "Bambi"

The Live Show Presents... FURCAST

Furcast makes music that sounds like Danny Elfman and Eraserhead-era David Lynch came together to produce a Youth Lagoon album. These old-fashioned melodies are caked with noise and psychedelic freakouts, creating an eery atmosphere only aliens transmitting their best vaudeville parody might be able to replicate.

3/8/13 at Tommy's place + on the air @ 1pm - 2pm

Bandcamp // Facebook

KXSC & USC Spectrum present: MAGICAL MYSTERY NIGHT

with AAN & SKELETONS

Join KXSC for a night filled with music, merriness, and MYSTERY and dress as your favorite mystery character (we're going as mystery-fiction icon and KXSC #1 search engine mascot Jeeves). 

We have two bands ready to soundtrack your film-noir, Lynchian fantasies:

Portland's AAN make frenetic indie-pop that sounds equally influenced by the Dirty Projectors' meticulous tempo changes and Black Flag's penchant for speed. On their latest 7", Mystery Life, the band makes unpredictable shifts in their songs without sacrificing their hooks. The suspense in these songs recall every car chase you watch on the news, provoking an almost innate fascination trying to guess where these songs might swerve, skid, and stop.

KXSC's very own Skeltons take the blues influence from acts like Band of Skulls and combine it with a less polished scuzz comparable to your favorite garage-band of choice. Their song "Where to Go" feels like a lost gem from the mid-90s, filled with loud-quiet-loud dynamics and a knack for catchy guitar melody. The grungy sound feels like something blaring from the speakers from that party scene in every excellent 90s horror movie featuring Sarah Michelle Gellar and other teens getting rowdy.

Be sure to follow the clues at the show for more mystical ménage à trois.

FRIDAY, MARCH 8 - 8:30 PM - TOMMY'S PLACE - FREE 

AAN: Website // Facebook // Bandcamp // Soundcloud // Twitter

Skeletons: Facebook // Youtube

 *RSVP HERE*

NOTE:
If you're NOT a USC student and plan on getting to campus after 9PM, get a friend at USC to register you as a guest at https://visitor.usc.edu/ to make sure you can get past security! If you'll be on campus before 9PM, registration is not necessary.

Show Review: Orientation LA

Flosstradamus, AraabMUZIK (MVP of the MPC), gLAdiator and Congorock were the talented components who made up the hard-hitting show known as Orientation LA. The electronic/trap/nu-trap interactive show at Club Nokia was held on Wednesday, February 27th. Lots of mashups and trap remixes got the crowd going, and the party didn't stop until 2:30 a.m., thus setting the standard for Wednesday-night raging.

 

The venue was convenient, especially for USC students who live on or near campus, and it was large enough to hold a big crowd without overcrowding yet still have an intimate club feel that was perfect for a show like this. The emcees and hype men, along with the lights and smoke effects, added to the entire experience.

Although the sets were on-schedule, the soundchecks and set-ups in between sets took painstakingly long and led to a fluctuation of energy in the crowd. Still, each artist, once onstage, brought the crowd back to life. Additionally, whenever AraabMUZIK plays, I feel that it would enhance the experience to have a live feed somewhere in the arena, such as on one of the screens behind him, to show his lightning-quick fingers tapping away on the MPC to create those electronic masterpieces. They don't call him the MVP of the MPC for nothing, so let's do the man some justice and showcase his crazy talents!
  

The DJ's each brought their own styles that made the crowd go crazy to the point of the entire front of the crowd becoming one giant mosh pit. Although it was fun at first, towards the end of the final set we needed a breather and headed to the back, which was just as fun because there was more room to dance! When the Hoodie Boyz, aka. Flosstradamus, dropped a remix of Benassi's "Satisfaction," the club went wild one last time before the night ended.

 

After the show, it really felt like a Saturday night, except the next day was really Thursday. Still, before finally going to bed, I had to share some photos of our epic night with my friends... and before I knew it,@flosstradamus and @joshtradamus (one half of the legendary duo) already "liked" my Instagram photos from the event! My photos ended up being featured on Orientation LA's Facebook page, which only added to my entire experience... for me and hundreds of others, it was indeed a Wednesday night for the books!

-Tanaya