“Negroes on Ice,” the father-son sketch comedy music performed in the main by Prince Paul (De La Soul, Handsome Boy Modeling School) and son, P.Forreal, at Upright Citizens Brigade last night promised to equally offend all types of viewers. In short, the performance did just that, and did its share of amusing and disappointing. While the show is billed as a musical sketch comedy based on tales told by P.Forreal growing up, we hoped the performance would exhibit some level of comedic maturity. What it did do was offer a slew of hip hop and cinematic references and weave them into bizarre stories with impeccably timed sound effects (thanks to Dad, Prince Paul, on the tables).

The show opened with an endearing intro by director, Sasha Jenkins, and his observations about how hip hop has been able to bridge the generation gap. He pointed to Prince Paul and son as an example and asked Prince Paul to elaborate. Rather than continue that dialogue, father and son leapt into the show asking for a showing of hands for Black, White, Hispanic, East Indian, Gay, Straight, Bi-Sexual, and Bi-Curious audience members, then assuring that no one would be left out of the teasing. P.Forreal then dove into an hour long story (all made up) containing an avalanche of bizarre anecdotes featuring RZA, Rosie Perez, Ice T, T-Pain, Freddie Foxxx, Steven Seagal, Madea, and Famous Amos Cookies.

But for the presence of famed producer and rapper, Prince Paul, and an elaborate audio-visual experience, “Negroes On Ice” could have been a performance in one’s living room after a holiday dinner. While P.Forreal has a great energy, hilarious pop and lock dance moves, and a knack for comedy rapping, the show (of which he is the star and main performer) lacked any kind of arc. In many respects the purpose of the show – telling a story that goes everywhere without rhyme or reason – was its biggest downfall. It was difficult to engage in the story-telling aspect of the performance because, well, the story didn’t mean anything.

That said, the house was packed and the diverse audience belly-laughed throughout (though it was difficult to discern whether they were laughing at the jokes or the randomness of it all).

Several rap-comedy songs, set to videos mocking the classics, saved the show. “I’m a Geee,” “Textual Healing” and “T-Pain = Autotune” were among the highlights. This is where “Negroes On Ice” thrived. P.Forreal and friends are gifted at mocking common memes. Perhaps we can hope that on “Negroes On Ice, II,” the songs will be the emphasis.

The show was directed by Sasha Jenkins SHR and produced by Peter Oasis.

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Marquee partners Jason Strauss, Louis Abin, and Noah Tepperberg celebrate the club's one year anniversary.

Marquee Nightclub in the Cosmopolitan Hotel of Las Vegas celebrated its one year anniversary this past Tuesday with  cake, snow, and AVICII.

Marquee’s official mascot, Mr. Q, donned white headphones, sunglasses, and a white tie and threw glow sticks, wristbands, and T-shirts into the crowd. AVICII himself was warmly welcomed with confetti, dollar bills, and napkins that flew from all corners of the club. He played to a sold out crowd and a dance floor that was closed an hour after it opened. 

AVICII’s set list featured “Seeking Bromance”, “Le7els”, “Blessed”, crowd favorite “Fade into Darkness”, as well as samplings of Justice’s ”D.A.N.C.E.” and Adele’s ”Someone Like You”. Snowfall and confetti laced the set in various intervals.

Club partners John Strauss, Louis Abin, and Noah Tepperberg were on hand to celebrate Marquee’s one year anniversary, and celebrities like Paris Hilton and paramour Afrojack were spotted as well, albeit not together. All in all, a great night. Happy Anniversary, Marquee!

Check after the jump for pictures from Tuesday night.

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Without a doubt, 2011 was a year of great music. Wrapping up the year is no easy task, especially with so many new emerging artists hitting the indie scene and settled greats releasing records as good or better than their efforts decades prior. Our picks for the Top 20 Albums of the year cover a lot of ground, ranging from Indie Beard Rock to Spaghetti-Western, Rockabilly to Hip-Hop, and everything in between. Check out our Top 20 Albums of 2011 after the jump …

20. Adele – 21

• Release Date: February 22, 2011
• Genre: Soul Revival
• Best Critics Quote: “Overall, “21″ shows that Adele, now 22, is towering in the same landscape where some of her contemporaries, bee-hived or not, have lost all their bearings.” Latimes.blogs.com
• Why We Love It: Arguably the top girl anthem (and guilty pleasure) of the year, “Rolling in the Deep” was as gut-wrenching a love song as any in 2011. This young Brit has made a name for herself amongst a soul-revivalist movement including Amy Winehouse and Duffy but she doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Her voice is strong and yet so pained, especially on “Someone Like You.” While we don’t recommend playing 21 as a pick-me-up, this record captures the essence of heartbreak, plus she does a Cure cover (“Lovesong”)!

Buy 21 on iTunes for $10.99.

19. Tom Waits – Bad As Me

• Release Date: October 21, 2011
• Albums Sold: Experimental, Rock, Singer-Songwriter
• Best Critics Quote: ‘“Bad as Me” comes at a moment of conflict and change, which is a comfortable setting for Waits and his carnival. The present is a time when individual, personal pain is less interesting than it used to be; big-tent ideas are welcome, and a good sideshow doesn’t hurt.” The New Yorker.
• Why We Love It: Always a fan of the gruff-voiced virtuoso, we welcome any Waits project. For decades the eclectic, eccentric singer-songwriter has given us songs about the dregs, the doldrums, and the circus people among us. Waits’ focus on the sub-culture has given him license to be as purely off-kilter as he’d like. One of the most creative artists of our time, Waits’ latest installment is among the top of his work.

Buy Bad As Me on iTunes for $10.99.

18. DJ Quik – The Book of David

• Release Date: April 19, 2011
• Genre: Hip Hop, Rap
• Best Critics Quote: “His new disc, “The Book of David,” dusts off everything Quik loved back in the day and everything he was good at; it’s aggressively, self-consciously vintage — from its old-school drum machines to its ’80s-style R&B-meets-hip-hop beats.” TheWashingtonPost.com.
• Why We Love It: It’s a party in a record. The dj/producer has made his mark in the hip hop world, consistently bringing jams to get low to and The Book of David follows suit. Though some of the content on this latest DJ Quik iteration is heavy (see “Ghetto Rendezvous”), this was the perfect backyard BBQ summer listen.

Buy The Book of David on iTunes for $9.99.

17. Jay Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne

• Release Date: August 2, 2011
• Genre: Hip Hop
• Best Critics Quote: “This is “luxury rap” defined, not to mention the best form we’ve seen from Jay since the American Gangster soundtrack. We hold these truths to be, essentially, self-evident: that Kanye West is making some exceptionally ambitious beats these days; that Sean Carter is hip-hop royalty; that both have more money than they could spend in three lifetimes.” Tinymixtapes.com.
• Why We Love It: While we may not think Kanye West is a very nice person, his collaboration with Jay Z on the rap-royalty heavy Watch the Throne helps soften the blow a bit. There’s even some acknowledgment that good music came before Kanye and Jay Z were worth more money than G*d on “Otis,” for which there was also a video that made everybody go nuts, to date reaching nearly 30 million views. “Murder to Excellence” is the album’s highlight and shows that the two hip hop giants can successfully address relevant topics beyond their own greatness. This record makes the top 20 because of its sheer grandiosity. It’s large in every way.

Buy Watch the Throne on iTunes for $11.99 (regular version) or $14.99 (deluxe version).

16. The Belle Brigade – The Belle Brigade

• Release Date: April 21, 2011
• Genre: Folk, Power Pop
• Best Critics Quote: “The Belle Brigade’s music is the sound of a record nerd’s dream come to messy, muscular life.”Latimes.blog.
• Why We Love It: Earlier this year, we reviewed this record and told you that “The brother sister duo have made a solid, happy folk album a la Simon & Garfunkel or Belle & Sebastian, with a sweet idealism that says, through music, these ought to be simpler times.” Achieving heaps of attention for their initial showing, The Belle Brigade makes the top 20 list because, for this writer, there wasn’t any other record like it. There were plenty of throw-back records but Barbara and Ethan Gruska have an incredible ability to sync with each other that make us want to start a family band.

Buy The Belle Brigade on iTunes for $9.99.

15. John Vanderslice – White Wilderness

• Release Date: January 25, 2011
• Genre: Orchestral, Singer-Songwriter
• Best Critics Quote: “Vanderslice is lighting out for the territories and keeping only what he needs of the past as he discovers the new. These songs are downright geographic—you can feel them establishing their own space, naming their own land, planting their flags before they send you off to the next one.” Popmatters.com.
• Why We Love It: The orchestra-backed record recorded in three days with the help of Minna Choi and her Magik Magik Orchestra is as mellow and cool as the day is long. We know John Vanderslice can rule the indie singer-songwriter scene, but White Wilderness shows he can share the stage with other musical greats without being overshadowed. It’s fun to hear the typically gentle singer alongside a full horn section.

Buy White Wilderness on iTunes for $8.99.

14. James Blake – James Blake

• Release Date: February 27, 2011
• Genre: Dubstep, Intelligent Dance Music
• Best Critics Quote: “Composed of tender torch songs, elegiac drifters, and soulful melodies, Blake’s first [record] puts him in the rare company of fellow singers– Thom Yorke, Karin Dreijer, Antony Hegarty, Justin Vernon, Dan Bejar– who’ve recently bent their own lavish voices, not samples, to make interesting pop music shaped with electronics.”Pitchfork.com.
• Why We Love It: One of the most interesting records of the year, James Blake’s self-titled release takes cues from indie darling Bon Iver and adds soul to his brand of intelligent, electronic, dance music. The young brit brings a collegiate, popped-collar wisdom to his slowed down lap-top rock that gives us hope for more great records in the future. “Limit to Your Love” is one the lowest, dirtiest tracks of the year.

Buy James Blake on iTunes for $9.99.

13. Radiohead – The King of Limbs

• Release Date: March 28, 2011
• Genre: Alternative Experimental Rock
• Best Critics Quote: “Percussive, groovy, spacious, ethereal and melodic, this is late night Radiohead, a stoned, somnambulistic wander through the urban wastelands shared by such post-Dubstep adventurers as Burial and James Blake.” Telegraph.co.uk.
• Why We Love It: Not only did Thom Yorke give us a five minute long interpretative dance for “Lotus Flower”  but Radiohead gave us The King of Limbs, an experimental (even for Radiohead) and richly textured record that, once again, shows this band isn’t afraid of anything. At the same time, the record isn’t so experimental that only the snootiest of snooty music snobs can get into it. It’s quite melodic in its layered complexity. This band far surpassed indie status ages ago but Radiohead continues to make music that sets them apart from mainstream acts.

Buy King of Limbs on iTunes for $9.99.

12. Denison Witmer – The Ones Who Wait

• Release Date: April 26, 2011
• Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Indie Acoustic
• Best Critics Quote: “The Ones Who Wait, then, is honest and believable. How many times in life are we denied the solution we want, but given just enough strength to keep going? In the end, that’s the sentiment Witmer meditates on, and that makes this album a soul quencher.” Absolutepunk.com.
• Why We Love It: When we reviewed this record last April we said: “Taking cues from singer-songwriter greats like the departed Vic Chestnutt and Elliot Smith, Witmer bears more than skilled lyricism, he pours the pain of a hundred souls into each and every melody, hum, and strum.”  The Ones Who Wait was as sincere a showing as any in 2011, making it, for this writer, the most heart-felt, but understated, project of the year.

Buy The Ones Who Wait on iTunes for $9.99.

11. Wanda Jackson – The Party Ain’t Over

• Release Date: January 25, 2011
• Genre: Rockabilly
• Best Critics Quote: “If The Party Ain’t Over proves anything, it’s that Wanda Jackson is flat out refusing to go out quietly. Retirement is for quitters, boys and girls. Rock & roll, on the other hand, is a lifelong commitment – and it’s something that both White and Jackson are very much dedicated to.” Sputnikmusic.com.
• Why We Love It: The Jack White produced project  shows that raspy-voiced Rockabilly queen still has some of the tightest chops after more than 50 years in the business. She’s as defiant today, in her seventies, as she was when she sang, “I’ve been to Nagasaki, Hiroshima too / The things I did to them baby, I can do to you!” on her No. 1 hit, “Fujiyama Mama,” in 1959. The Party Aint Over is the most fun you are likely to have with a woman over 70 this year.

Buy The Party Ain’t Over on iTunes for $9.99.

10. Cults – Cults

• Release Date: June 7, 2011
• Genre: Noise Pop
• Best Critics Quote: “The result is an album full of comfortably similar songs, but with an underlying complexity that renders the record an easy one to fall for. Looking to lyrically analyze a falsely cheery album that is full of self doubt and confusion? Look no further.” Prettymuchamazing.com.
• Why We Love It: After “Go Outside” it was like we couldn’t get away from the catchy, sweet dance inspired cuts of Cults, a Manhattan based duo with a youthful innocence that many of the indie-city bands can lack. Thankfully, “Go Outside” isn’t the only thing good about Cults. Their self-title full length is packed with “ABC”-era Jackson Five-like jams that make us giddy.

Buy Cults on iTunes for $7.99.

9. Washed Out – Within and Without

• Release Date: July 12, 2011
• Genre: Chill Wave, Ambient
• Best Critics Quote: “No musician has mastered the slippery genre called “bedroom music” quite as well as Ernest Greene, better known by his stage name Washed Out…. Much as its title suggests, Within and Without is a juxtaposition, matching an assortment of warm, decades-old retrograde styles with the despondent, isolated, and decidedly modern mood of Greene’s alienated narratives.” Slantmagazine.com.
• Why We Love It: This year’s equivalent to The XX, Washed Out’s Within and Without is a sexy, under-the-covers kind of record that just keeps getting deeper and deeper into your bloodstream with each listen. There’s nothing washed out about it. If a record could be clothing, this one would be a silk robe worn by someone like Jonathan Goldsmith. It’s that smooth.

Buy Within and Without on iTunes for $8.99.

8. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

• Release Date: May 3, 2011
• Genre: Beard Rock
• Best Critics Quote: “Helplessness Blues‘ analytical and inquisitive nature never tips into self-indulgence. Amidst the chaos, the record showcases the band’s expanded range and successful risk-taking, while retaining what so many people fell in love with about the group in the first place.” Pitchfork.com.
• Why We Love It: Lovers of Neil Young, big sky, and facial hair can hold hands and revel in yet another beautiful delivery from these Seattle hirsutes. The newest release from the sextet is as poetic and mystical as it is full of gospel-like revival songs. Full of empty-church echoes and siren-like calls to the heavens, Helplessness Blues is dense with incredible harmonies for which Fleet Foxes are getting more and more well known and proves that Fleet Foxes are stellar song-writers even during a brutal touring schedule.

Buy Helplessness Blues on iTunes for $9.99.

7. The Dodos – No Color

• Release Date: March 15, 2011
• Genre: Indie / Folk Rock
• Best Critics Quote: “No Color is the noisiest, prettiest album of The Dodos’ career. It’s good and on.” AVclub.com.
• Why We Love It: Much like Los Angeles favorites, Local Natives, The Dodos are serious about their vocal harmonies. On No Color, we are amazed how the two-man team brings such a full sounding record. Known for their ability to fill a massive space with just an acoustic guitar and an almost violent attack of the drums, The Dodos manage a sweet nostalgic sound, building on layers of vocals and instruments that could easily be a ten-piece. No Color is a briskly paced, brilliant indie-folk endeavor.

Buy No Color on iTunes for $9.99.

6. Danger Mouse & Daniel Luppi – Rome

• Release Date: March 13, 2011
• Genre: Western-esque Film Score
• Best Critics Quote: “From start to finish, the album provides a timeless, arduously arranged backdrop to past generations’ visions of panoramic vistas and blood-stained betrayals.” Npr.org.
• Why We Love It: How could we not?! Rome is a spaghetti-Western record by Danger Mouse and Italian composer, Daniele Luppi, featuring Jack White and Norah Jones. It’s like everything Danger Mouse touches turns to gold andRome is no exception. It combines the desert dirt of bygone days with adulation for classic composers like Ennio Morricone. The record is true to itself as a soundtrack for a western shootout film, slow and brooding, threatening death at high noon.

Buy Rome on iTunes for $9.99.

5. TV on the Radio – Nine Types of Light

• Release Date: April 12, 2011
• Genre: Art Rock
• Best Critics Quote: “The incessant perfectionism of all five members of this band and its glimmering results vindicates us when we say: Nine Types Of Light is indeed the band’s best work to date.” Antiquiet.com.
• Why We Love It: Simply put, this love-songs record is just so much fun. It’s a dance ready rock retrospective thick with a bonafide lovesickness that really only singers, Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone can master. Nine Types of Light is all sorts of cool with its nod to disco, jazz, and soul, but remains experimental in the way that we expect from TV on the Radio.

Buy Nine Types of Light on iTunes for $9.99.

4. Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

• Release Date: February 15, 2011
• Genre: (mostly) Instrumental Post-Rock
• Best Critics Quote: “Mogwai has always resisted the conventional verse-chorus-verse trappings, but on “Hardcore,” there seems to be a much greater emphasis on structurally grounding the songs. A trail of bread crumbs keeps the listener from floating into space.” Latimesblogs.com.
• Why We Love It: Mogwai have always been a band that challenges conventional songwriting. On Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, the math-rock Scots make beautiful, sprawling music, respecting their audience of many years may have grown up a bit since the release of their first record way back in 1997. HWNDBYW is stoner rock with a focus.

Buy Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will on iTunes for $9.99.

3. Fruit Bats – Tripper

• Release Date: August 2, 2011
• Genre: Indie Rock, Singer-Songwriter
• Best Critics Quote: “Fruit Bats’ fifth album feels like a labour of love that was a long time in the making, Johnson carefully establishing all the subtle interweaving of phrases and instrumentation with an academic’s hand. The result is the best album he has yet put his name to.” Thequietus.com.
• Why We Love It: The 70s-influence heavy record is as much an homage as it is a re-invention of the genre. In every track we can hear Eric Johnson’s affinity for detail. He creates a mood with gorgeously crafted lyrics and enveloping sound. Johnson’s fifth release, Tripper, is his best showing yet, ripe with deep and lingering echoes.

Buy Tripper on iTunes for $9.99.

2. Mister Heavenly – Out 0f Love

• Release Date: August 16, 2011
• Genre: Doom-Wop
• Best Critics Quote: “Out of Love is a constant battle between love and hate, carefree pop vocals and guttural cries creating a demure angst guided by a romantic sensibility. Sometimes, you’re not sure what you’re listening to, but it’s strangely addictive.” Undertheradarmag.com.
• Why We Love It: The indie super group made up on members of Man Man, The Unicorns, The Shins, and Modest Mouse are not playing around here. They even invented their own genre of music (hashtag Doom-Wop) that feels as fresh as it does reverent. Skeptics were convinced that the first record from the threesome separated by 3000 miles of America could never be greater than the sum of their parts but Mister Heavenly makes every effort to prove them wrong. At first listen, Out of Love had us hooked.

Buy Out of Love on iTunes for $9.99.

1. Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost*

• Release Date: September 13, 2011
• Genre: Indie Pop
• Best Critics Quote: “Perfectly Maybe: Girls write the songs that make the whole world codependent.” Spin.com.
• Why We Love It: These enigmatic San Francisco ingénues don’t do anything half-heartedly. Father, Son, Holy Ghost, the second full length from the curiously named band, is full of passion and sass that is unapologetic in every sense. This is a record that you can both dance and wallow to. It combines sweet syrupy lyrics and a true indie hardcore with brilliant results.

Buy Father, Son, Holy Ghost on iTunes for $9.99.

(*Girls made our list of Top 20 Albums in 2009 with Album, then in the 8th position.)

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The Bad

Dia Frampton, Red

The debut album of Dia Frampton, runner-up on The Voice is mostly criticized for its genre-crossing. Each track is very different, ranging from country to folk rock to straight-up electonic pop, and the critics all seem to agree there’s a resulting lack of unity:

• Entertainment Weekly: “she pledges allegiance to no single genre, flitting confidently from Blondie-style disco-pop (”Billy the Kid”) and floaty acoustic folk (”The Broken Ones”) to the kind of big-chorus country proffered by her Voicecoach Blake Shelton, who turns up for a duet on ”I Will.” The result feels like a farewell to life on the Warped Tour.” –Mikael Wood
• AllMusic: “Ultimately, while Frampton is never allowed to settle into one aesthetic sound on Red – moving from electronic pop to dance-rock to folk-pop — her honey-sweet voice and emotionally compelling delivery are enough to carry you along for the ride.” –Matt Collar

Red is available on Amazon for $7.99.

Amy Winehouse, Lioness: Hidden Treasures

It may be soaring on the charts already, but it seems the critics all agree on one issue regarding the posthumous release Lioness: Hidden Treasures (which includes re-releases of a couple tracks):  as much as we all love Amy Winehouse, enough reminiscing already:

• Chicago Tribune: ““Lioness: Hidden Treasures” is a tamer affair, a cash-in thin on new songs that confirms Winehouse was still a long way from finishing up the five-years-in-the-making follow-up to “Back to Black.”…If Winehouse were still with us, one wonders if these not-all-there performances are how she’d like to be remembered. Here’s hoping that if these are the best of her leftovers, the exploitation of her legacy stops now.” –Greg Kot
• LA Times: ““Lioness” only begins to hint at the kind of affection Winehouse inspired — she duets with rap icons and Tony Bennett here. That’s because for all Winehouse’s deep, fatal flaws, her immense talent was fueled by a compelling openness and vulnerability. The 12-song compilation is slight on new insights — it’s hard to tell what an umpteenth version of “Girl From Ipanema” adds to her legacy.” –August Brown

The Good

Chevelle, Hats Off To The Bull

Alternative metal trio Chevelle releases Hats Off To The Bull, their 6th addition to a steady stream of successful albums, and the result is a typical Chevelle album, which is both expected and praised:

• Kill Hipsters: “Everything sounds beautifully mixed, the bass isn’t washed out, the guitars are beefy and heavy, the kick drum and cymbals in the drums department are mega loud just the way they should be… I still can’t believe 3 guys created this, in almost every way this is a perfect Chevelle album. Simple, hard hitting and right to the point guitar riffs driven by prominent bass lines and excellent drum work.”
• AllMusic: “What’s made Chevelle such a surprise is that, rather than wither in the shadows of an influence that was also one of their contemporaries, they’ve managed to take their sound in their own direction and fully refine it on their sixth studio album, Hats Off to the Bull. Heavy and dramatic, the album is packed full of tightly coiled, muscular riffs, giving the album a controlled feeling more like a slow burn than an explosive, cathartic release.” –Gregory Heaney

Hats Off to the Bull is available on Amazon for $9.99.

The Roots, Undun

Possibly best-known for being the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Roots release their 13th album Undun to mixed reviews by critics who either love the album or just can’t ignore its strengths even if they do dislike its gloomy realism:

• Pitchfork: “the limited palette of down-to-mid-tempo dirges here feels almost stiflingly gloomy. Which means it works– if this album is a cinematic experience, the score here fills in the cues for moods that the MCs mostly just suggest…This isn’t the Roots’ most accessible album, and it’s definitely their most downbeat, but it comes from a place that isn’t always easy to dwell.” –Nate Patrin
• BBC: “On The Roots’ new album, undun, the Philadelphia octet tells the story of…the demise of semi-fictional character Redford Stephens through a series of sparse soul melodies, thoughtful string arrangements and stomping hip hop grit. Here, The Roots tell the story backwards, beginning with Redford’s death and backpedalling through the circumstances that ordered his steps. The result is a remarkable display of creative unity and a stellar masterpiece sitting alongside the group’s best work.” –Marcus J. Moore

Undun is available on iTunes for $9.99.

The Great

The Black Keys, El Camino

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Kasabian‘s Velociraptor! contains the greatest variety of sounds and influences the British rockers have released to date. And that level of diversity can be a bit overwhelming. Luckily, the tracks are mixed just right to allow the album to remain, well, mostly connected. Overall, Velociraptor! is about action and movement. At times it feels like each song moves through a different territory; other times it feels surprising, alien and other-worldly.  In fact, we almost expect to hear some of these songs accompanying the next episode of Terra Nova. Maybe it goes back to the album’s title, which even dons an exclamation point. Or maybe it’s something else…

“Let’s Roll Just Like We Used To” is a snappy and cinematic beginning to the album, with a catchy swell–rhythmically familiar yet refreshingly foreign. “Days Are Forgotten,” burnished and autumnal, is our favorite track because we can’t quite wrangle it into the realm of understanding. Take out the annoying holler-sing background at the bridge, and “Days” would be an unblemished masterpiece, its apocalyptic lyrics “now it’s all over” feeling somehow eerily nostalgic. But it’s not the only track laced with that sort of nostalgia–”Goodbye Kiss” is the perfect romance, an opposing force weaved gently into the surrounding tracks. ”Acid Turkish Bath” sounds like a sitar played simultaneously with an old Armageddon soundtrack (or maybe Jurassic Park?). Every sound has its place. Their latest single “Re-Wired,” which is less rambunctious than their ravenous title track, contains a sample of the diversity that invades the entire album all mashed into one single–a single, we note, that really works as an accurate representative sample of the whole.

“Switchblade Smiles” has an unignorable techno pulse beneath intercomed vocals and a dreamy chorus while “Neon Noon” is the typical happy ending, suddenly tinged with an eagerness for resolution that is ultimately withheld from us. Perhaps that will just keep us looking forward to their next album. But the most surprising elements of the album, ironically, aid in propelling this idea of dinosaur-like stomping and prowling.  ”La Free Verte,” (meaning “The Green Fairy”) is like an absinthe-laden vision, and the only part of the album we feel comfortable calling pretty. Beautiful acoustic strumming and beatles-esque story-telling finally give way to video-game bloops, jumping directly into the title track, which has a wry use of the word “man” and an energy that is the crux of the album for a reason–it’s danceable, jumpable, head-boppable, and unmistakably pop-friendly. We reiterate that, at times, the album seems to drift off in too many directions, and we’re not crazy about the unresolved end, but we applaud Velociraptor! for its memorable lyrics, catchy beats, and playful take on a serious theme.

Purchase Velociraptor! on Amazon for $18, or snag a digital download of the album on iTunes for $7.99.

Rating: 7/10

Tracklist:

1. Let’s Roll Just Like We Used To
2. Days Are Forgotten
3. Goodbye Kiss
4. La Fee Verte
5. Velociraptor!
6. Acid Turkish Bath (Shelter From The Storm)
7. I Hear Voices
8. Re-Wired
9. Man of Simple Pleasures
10. Switchblade Smiles
11. Neon Noon

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Lush Hollywood venue Bardot was all about drawing out  a crowd of young beautiful people and modern sounds this past Monday evening. Themed “School Night”, the rebel factor was at the Ultra notch. And with strong enough drinks, high enough spirits, and the music a sufficient enough  fusion of the two, it was a welcome place to see some acts, the up-and-coming and established alike.

New York-based band Ivy were the headliners of the evening, a one-night-only event, at least at that present moment. Preceded by local acts Duniven (featuring vocalist Gavin Turek) and Races, the room was adequately warmed up and ready for bass-thumping and perhaps some a slight electro-ambient undertone. All the better to stay up past one’s bed time.

Once taking the stage, the energy in the room was punctuated by eager eyes and a surge of cameras. Fans of the indie pop-rock band audibly considered the evening in part to be a big deal, considering the last time Ivy was working their charms on  LA was six years ago. Of course, this was in conjunction with their then-latest album release, In the Clear. With their most recent album, All Hours, set for release the following day The small stage was rounded out to its edges by the trio -Dominique Durand on vocals, mild, commanding, yet personable in all black; bassist Adam Schlessinger; guitarist and songwriter Andy Chase. For the night, however, three became five on keyboard and drums, strictly for upping-the-ante purposes, one can only assume.

To the audience’s delight, featured was a fair mix of not-so-new material from their earlier albums to their newest of new material from their latest album, All Hours, which was released this past Tuesday. They all seemed genuinely excited to be performing new tracks, some of them they had only played for live reception a few times. Understanding the phenomenon referred to as ‘relatively first-time jitters’, they carried it off without a hitch, the more acoustic and raw elements of earlier works blending into more electro- inspired tracks on their newer albums – all of which sat well with most all in attendance, the occasional “I love you” to the heart and bright flash of a camera through the tender parts of one’s brain, all in the name of adoration. (And we must say, intimate venues are some of the best to find oneself in. On that same token, we applaud Durand for not losing her eyesight upon eager front-rowers inconsiderate of their flashing brights. Mid-note, she continued along like a pro. Which, naturally, she is.)

Their repertoire filled the spacious but cozy venue  quarters. “Thinking About You”, from their album before last entitled In the Clear - was followed by one of their more prominent singles entitled “Edge of the Ocean”, which played in a number of films and television shows, including but not limited to Shallow Hall, Music and Lyrics, Grey’s Anatomy and Alias. Throwing in songs like “Suspicious”, “Fascinated”, and “Distant Lights” – from their then to-be-released album, their first in five years-  resulted in an incorporation of newness and fresh appeal as far as growing anticipation.

And the crowd, baring much more than their hipster/scenester best, showed their support, appreciation, and good taste in the band that, when not venturing in the solo realm, are simply referred to as Ivy. Punctuating the evening with sing-along smiles and various head motions of rhythmic acknowledgement all throughout the set, they composed themselves just enough so as to not beg for an encore. We would have understood if they did, though. Behold the power of willpower.

Check out photos from the show below!

Photos by Tommy A. Monroe

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San Francisco-based indie dream pop artist Courtship released his sophomore album Eve in May. Two of the tracks from that album have been re-compiled into a 4-track remix album, Eve Remixes, that features the chimera of four separate artists/bands: :papercutz, Drop/Dead, Albert Swarm, and Drifter.  The result? A peppy fata morgana of Patrick Fallon’s original determinist melodies that keep the mysterious depth but elevate the minimalism into multi-faceted, and even dancable, club hits.

“Want Not” is pure 80′s keyboard-vibe undulation, intermittent drum-kicks providing an illusory foundation for the heavy vocal content that speaks of  unrequited love and then crumbles into a disoncerting pause with gentle, troubled semi-a cappella that grieves in series of mumblings about loss and desire. Drop/Dead’s remix turns the song into an upbeat, fast-paced track that loses the lyrics altogether to become a long-lived trance that sometimes lapses into the feeling of eeriness that the original inhabits so well. Albert Swarm takes it a step further, retaining more of the original beat but bringing back Patrick’s vocals in an otherworldly, muffled way and pairing them with female vocals to create a more upbeat version of loss.  Albert beautifully brings the song out of introversion.

The original track of “Housed” also contained a sort of introverted loneliness, contained in an ominous bee-buzz complementing Patrick’s deep, distracted voice. Keyboards rained in suddenly to ping out a trance-like melody and tambourines shook fearfully in the background. But :papertcutz’s remix of Housed scrambles the original track out of immediate recognition and into a completely different song. Both Drifter and :papercutz retain the original vocals–:papercutz adds a playful pitchy modulation to them while Drifter scatters the voice amongst new voices. We particularly like :papercutz’s remix because it features a driving piano beat that is perfectly derived from Courtship’s keyboard and not only retains that beautiful, acceptance feeling of loss we see in the original, but adds just the right sound effects to encourage the feeling of being trapped, inspired, motivated despite capture.

Overall, this album is a layer cake of Courtship’s original E.P.–a sweetly-satisfying mixture that sometimes overindulges in a sort of mindless, unfeeling trance but carries on the conversation that Courtship began, adding a club pop appeal along the way and answering the loneliness of the parent album with an eerily positive ambience.  Both Eve and Eve Remixes are sold on BandCamp.  Find Courtship on SoundCloud or Twitter. Also, don’t forget to check out :papercutz on their Official Website, Drop/Dead on SoundCloud, Drifter on BandCamp, and Albert Swarm on BandCamp.

Rating: 8/10

Tracklist:

1. Housed (:papercutz Remix)
2. Want Not (Drop/Dead Remix)
3. Housed (Drifter Remix)
4. Want Not (Albert Swarm Remix)

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Long Beach band, The Wind, recently released a brave double disc that has it all. Harum Scarum’s 23 tracks aim at a mostly 60s throwback, with a quasi-circus feel, and keep up the pace of impressive musical reference, ranging from symphony nods to The Beatles and Tom Waits (in a parlor fantasy kind of way).

Even with the humble-student-imitates-professor nudge to rock’s seniors, The Wind’s epic release feels timeless and modern. The quartet come up with something uniquely original and palatable, much like Band of Horses with their brand of Americana, or The Morning Benders and their take on baroque pop.  Harum Scarum is, as its length suggests (80 minutes plus), a kind of academic lesson in how to treat varying musical genres well, and, consequently how to sell records.

Not that The Wind appear all that hell bent on pushing units. They are so confident you will come back for more they are offering the first disc of Harum Scarum for free.  That’s right, this west-side outfit really want you to hear them play at their own expense (and possible peril). It’s worth taking the offer (guilt laden as you might be) because the super-ambitious double disc has all the trappings of an end of the year list maker. The prolific band have mentioned beginning recording on a new album already but get to this one first while it’s still gratis.

Harum Scarum is a perfect record for the waning days of Summer with its hug your-beach-buddies swagger on “Sunshine and Peace of Mind” and its rom-com montage slash French café effervescence on “Hathor.” It will lullaby you to sleep with its creepy echo on the opener, “Shellwhite,” and it will wake you back up with the varied pace of “I Am The Same As Yesterday.” Hum along with the lovedream anthem, “Some Place” and reminisce with Meddle-days Pink Floyd on, “Clemencious.”

In short, hear Harum Scarum on the double.

• Harum Scarum is available for download on Bandcamp $9.99.
• Or get yourself a physical copy of the double discs for $12.00 (including delivery).
• Download Disc 1 for free (for Facebook users).

See them live at The Silverlake Lounge on September 14.

Rating: 9/10

Tracklist:

Disc 1:

1. Shellwhite
2. Hathor
3. Marvel Me
4. Pussyfoot
5. Oh, Hadihu
6. Do Geese See God? Yes.
7. Lucy
8. Come On
9. Clemencious
10. Unless, I’m A Liar
11. Bruise-Eyes
12. Hathor Reprise

Disc 2:

13. An Astral Dance And A Shared Dream
14. Sunshine And Peace Of Mind
15. All The Country Roads
16. I’ze Born A Rich Man
17. Some Place
18. 27 Cent Blues
19. Distractions
20. This Is The Modern World
21. I Am The Same As Yesterday
22. Yankee Brig
23. Monsters

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What happens when a music festival is canceled just a few days prior to its commencement? A ton of angry tweets, people demanding refunds, bands with no venues to play, and an army of Hanson fans screaming shenanigans.

As you may have heard Sunset Junction, the little community event that became a giant music festival, had the plug pulled just 48 hours before the function and what ensued was not the chaos one would expect. The community got together, venues booked bands, block parties formed, and an almost SXSW style event took over the Silverlake/Echo Park areas for a weekend of free (and some paid) shows.

Taking cue from Sunset Junction past, Dangerbird Records hosted a free (yes, Sunset Junction was once free) day party (with donations being accepted for the Pablove Foundation). This fiesta featured a plethora of bands including Beatcrave favs Vanaprasta and Useless Keys.

Even with the sun pounding down on an almost 100 degree day, Vanaprasta had no problem getting the crowd dancing. Guitarist and sleigh bell extraordinaire Cameron Dmytryk looked a little too much like a fan when he snuck into the crowd with his set of jingle bells. While trying to get back to the stage security grabbed Cam and flung him back into the loving fans.

While the party was still going strong at Dangerbird we made our way over to The Satellite to catch a formal show with some more of the artists that the Junction had castoff.

Australia’s Art vs. Science brought out all the stops and just about all the local Aussies for an early evening show. The trio sounds as if Daft Punk decided to make the heaviest dance-synth grooves over your local carnivals haunted house backing track. Its heavy, spooky, and a straight up party.

Frontman Dan McNamee had the crowd joining every hand clap, chanting every chorus and even using their, “flippers to get down”. While the crowd was getting down Jim Finn was getting down with his self, hair flying while rhythmically rocking (both physically and musically) his keyboard.

Dan Williams might have taken it a bit far, spitting water on the fans, but the spray just made the crowd laugh causing Williams to stick out his tongue while he thrashed away at the drums. Art vs. Science took control of the entire crowd with chunky riffs resulting in an early evening dance party with jumping, fist pumping, and seizure like shaking.

Almost appropriately another arty band, Art Brut, closed the evening. While we could hang on to every word of singer Eddie Argos, this evening it was a tad difficult. It seemed like his microphone turned off every song and the guitars just became overpowering noise. Eddie didn’t let any of the technical problems (or a missing setlist) dampen the set.

Eddie let out a few choice 4 letter words at his faulty mic but he also got the entire venue to bend down to the sticky floor when he came out in a crowd to join the adoring crowd for a little storytelling. If that wasn’t “Top of the Pops” the crowd also got to shout out requests for the final few songs.

This past weekend really proved that old saying “The show must go on”. All weekend long there was some kind of show going on, something to make every fan happy, except those Hanson fans. They just will have to keep on waiting.

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We safely made it through another day of the Outside Lands Music Festival but with a little added pinkness to our skin. The grey skies finally turned blue which  didn’t make us sad one bit, the only thing that could do that was the realization that we would only have one more day in the majestic San Fran climate. With the sun beating down most of the day we made our way into all the tents to catch members of  our favorite acts in a stripped down and more accessible setting.

While we were trying to cool down, Rhett Miller of the Old 97′s heated up the tent with an unplugged acoustic set. Even though we caught Ximena Sarinana with a full band at the Panhandle stage, watching the charming girl play a song she hadn’t performed live with just her keyboard took our breath away and made everyone playing ski-ball in Barcade stop and take notice.  Even DJ’s can get into the stripped down styles and The Mexican Institute of Sound brought out just an ipad, iphone and two stools for a unique impromptu song that had everyone wondering just how he did that.

On Friday we may have seen some magnificent hair flipping from some females but Sia and Christina Perri might have taken that crown after Saturday’s sets.  And if anyone was sick, the British group The Vaccines did their part in making everyone feel just a little better while bassist Árni Hjörvar showed he may just have the best hair of them all. Enjoy some pictures of everything we saw on Saturday over at Golden Gate Park and let us know who had the best hair flip of the weekend!

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Flogging Molly’s fifth studio album, Speed of Darkness, on the band’s own label, Borstal Beat, shows the sham rock group haven’t slowed down for a second. Speed of Darkness is rich with that speedy celtic anthem punk that gives Flogging Molly such a renowned live-band reputation. It is energetic and frenetic and heady with vitriol for the capital letter M Man. This record, though, takes a turn in focus from drunken lullabies (referencing both the record title and overall sentiment) and takes on the demise of the American economy as its inspiration. Anyone who’s awake at this moment knows that’s no light challenge.

The subject of collapsing businesses and families that can’t feed their children in America is equally as powerful as the stories of the same from frontman, Dave King’s birthplace of Ireland, but on Speed of Darkness there are less moments of that absolute knife stabbing pain than we would like. Songs like, “If I Ever Leave This World Alive,” on Drunken Lullabies, and “The Worst Day Since Yesterday,” on Swagger, are so memorable and so piercing that we expected Flogging Molly’s first release on their own label would match in conviction. There are moments that near the peak of Flogging Molly’s greatness but none that surpass it. (“The Cradle of Humankind” is a departure from this generalization, however, and displays the real poetic phenomenon that we have come to love from King and his brood. This is one you will get caught singing embarrassingly loud alone.)

The Los Angeles based band’s relocation to motor city seems to have influenced not only the theme of the album but the expression of that theme. Of all Flogging Molly’s releases, this one feels unequivocally radio friendly. In perhaps contradictory fashion, living in one of the cities hardest hit by the recession has made Flogging Molly put out easily their most commercial release. In that respect, Speed of Darkness may put off some die hard fans (it’s the die hards that never want “their” band to be discovered) but those fans should want their beloveds to succeed, especially if it means the message of this record reaches more listeners.

Speed of Darkness is not that great a departure for Flogging Molly that anyone who’s downed a pint to “Rebels Of The Sacred Heart” won’t feel that nostalgia jig creep up on the record’s highlights, “The Power’s Out” and “Saints & Sinners.” Plus the record gets better with every listen and it’s sure to rouse a crowd.

Buy Speed of Darkness on iTunes for $9.99 and on amazon.com for $8.99.

Watch the official video for the single, “Don’t Shut Em Down.”

Rating: 7/10

Tracklist:

1. Speed of Darkness
2. Revolution
3. The Heart of the Sea
4. Don’t Shut Em Down
5. The Power’s Out
6. So Sail On
7. Saints & Sinners
8. The Present State of Grace
9. The Cradle of Humankind
10. Oliver Boy (All of Our Boys)
11. A Prayer For Me In Silence
12. Rise Up

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The Who: Noah and the Whale (2:00 pm, Monday at the Bigfoot Stage)

What you should know: There is no one named Noah or a whale in the band. The name comes from a mix of the band’s favorite film and that films director. They are a four piece group of well dressed men.

What you may have missed: The group came out in all black suits. Firmly pressed and quite exquisite, the folksy-twee band has done a lot of growing up since their single “5 Years Time” was blowing up every car commercial on the US television market. The more mature sound showed that Noah and the Whale has stepped up its games, with thick beats it was hard not to sway back and forth to the charming Brits. Hand claps and whistling adorned most of the set making it a perfect time for some crowd participation and the crowd obliged by partaking in anything the band asked of them, and that was just, “to have a good time”

Overheard in the crowd: “Wasn’t there a girl in this band?”

We had an entire conversation about this in the photo pit and to clear up the confusion, yes there was but the group is now just the boys. Even without a woman’s vocals the boys had no problem with their lovely falsettos filling the void.

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