Spleen United @ Echo Los Angeles, CA 16 March, 2010

My good friend Martin turned me onto Danish electronic rockers Spleen United nearly three years ago. This was significant, as he'd never specifically made such an effort to turn me onto any other bands in the past. I listened to his copy of Neanderthal, and I was instantly hooked. These Danes know how to rock, I thought to myself. I figured they'd be at Coachella sooner or later, but alas, it was not to be.

I started wondering how obscure they really were, seeing as they were so goddamn amazing. I started trying to track them down, trying to figure out if I'd have to plan a European vacation around one of their gigs (if you know me, or know how fantastic Spleen United are, you know I would do this in a heartbeat).

Long story short, I found out two weeks too late they'd played at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa at the end of 2009. I vowed that if they ever came to my area again, I'd do whatever it took to see them.

So what can I tell you about these guys? Their album Neanderthal was pretty much instant classic for me. From the first notes of the opening track, Suburbia, to the last warbling pad sound of My Jungle Heart, I was absolutely fixated on what this group had done. I really felt it was a masterpiece of modern electronic music, millennial-era dance music, whatever you want to call it.

Tonight, after I saw them live, my opinion of them went from stellar to godlike.

There are five members in the band. All of them have drums and drumsticks, and aren't afraid to use them. They all jump around on stage like they're actually enjoying what they're doing. There's a certain joy they bring to the stage, and to the crowd.

We drove up from San Diego to see them, and even though they only played for about 40 minutes, we enjoyed every single second. They played pretty much everything totally live, totally analog. They even did a live remix of Do You Realize? by The Flaming Lips that was a pretty mind-bending surprise.

Only about 50 people got to witness this, and when they closed the set with Suburbia, there were only dry throats in the house.

From screaming at the top of their lungs.

Props to opening act Mad Planet, they were mad good in our book. Also look out for an MC they brought up on stage, can't remember his name but his group's called The Milky Way.

If you ever get the chance to see Spleen United, do not pass it up. These guys PERFORM electronic music in ways other acts can only aspire to. Honestly, I'm surprised other, lesser bands weren't there taking notes.

39 Days 'til Coachella - La Roux

I discovered La Roux from this video. I bought the album, which is great, but nothing quite lives up to this remix. I found it on eBay for about $18.00 USD, including shipping from UK. Worth it.

I really like the album I picked up, regardless of what you call it. Electro, electro-pop, dubstep, I'm not big on any of that shit, but I really like what I hear on this album.

But again, that Skream remix is head and shoulders above the original of In For the Kill.

43 Days 'til Coachella - Little Dragon

I'm listening to Little Dragon for the first time. The track is "Twice," from their debut album, and I'm hooked from the first minimal, wonderful piano and synth riffs. Then Yukimi Nagano's voice comes in, and I'm still grooving. Halfway through the song, the elements blend together like a drop of food coloring in a glass of water, and I've got goosebumps. By the end of the song, the chills have taken me over, and I'm simultaneously stunned, entranced, and pissed off I haven't heard them before.

Now I'm listening to "Feather" from the new album, "Machine Dreams." Quite a bit different, a downtempo beat and subdued acid-y bassline. Just the fact that it has a beat makes it seem more poppy by comparison, and Yukimi's voice sounds more like Martha Schwendener from Bowery Electric than Lou Rhodes (Lamb).

Yeah, this one's going to be good. Here's hoping they're on early, outdoor stage, and up against no one else.

77 Days 'til Coachella - Phoenix

We've heard a lot of buzz about Phoenix, the first band on the third line of Sunday's announcement. Checking them out tonight, I can tell why. Listening to their latest, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, reminds me of when I finally "got" The Shins. They've got a similar poppiness to The Shins, but also a little more electronic feel, like the early stuff from The Postal Service.

The second song on the album is 1901, which is pretty familiar as it's been in a car commercial for the past six months or so. I think it's actually in a Cadillac commercial, and I have to once again give Cadillac props. They also used a song by Coachella favorites Justice a couple of years back to great effect. Then there's the Ford commercial that used Band of Horses' song The Funeral. I tell ya, car commercials are doing the legwork for Goldenvoice these days, aren't they?

Of course, I'm kidding. While the snippet on the commercial is catchy, it only winks at the complexity and full-on head bopping vibe of the full version on the album.

If their Wikipedia page is to be believed, they're French.

I'm only halfway through the album and I'm really looking forward to checking out more from them. They're on my list for Sunday, so hopefully they'll get a decent time and stage slot.

78 Days 'til Coachella - My Response to No Single Day Passes

I received an email tonight from a good friend, it was forwarded from someone who wrote,

"No single day passes this year? FUCK YOU COACHELLA."

I know, this is pretty subtle. But after reading between the lines, I figured out that this particular person was displeased at the fact that, despite in previous years, when attendees could purchase tickets for each day of Coachella, only three-day passes would be issued for Coachella 2010.

This is my response to that particular email.

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I gotta say, as I understand it's true, but the comment about the "non exciting" lineup is fucking stupid. This is a FAN's Coachella. No stupid Paul McCartney, Red Hot Shitty Peppers, The Killers, or Jack Johnson to me says hell yeah. This is the best initial lineup announcement I've seen since 2005 or 2006. And I really think they've got an ace up their sleeve for Saturday to boost ticket sales a la Prince in 2008. If I had to guess, I'd say they finally got Bowie, but of course, I dream a lot ;)

As far as no one-day tickets, I sympathize, and I think it will ultimately bite them in the ass. But in a good way for me. You get a wristband this year, I'm told, which means you can't even split the ticket. It's one ticket, you present it the first time you go in, and you get a wristband that you keep for the rest of the weekend.

So yeah, that sucks for my friends who really want to go, just to experience it. But I guess I'd say if you haven't done it yet, you've had ten chances. This is your 11th, so man up or shut up. This is just a different excuse not to go, so take it or leave it.

Now the people I *really* feel for are the ones who live relatively close, and who really, really want to see only one or two nights, and not the third. That's gotta suck. But hey, it's Coachella. And if they need to, they'll release single-day tickets just before the event. Think of it as a band that books a show in LA, and then waits for me and Conner to buy tickets and get a hotel and take off work, and THEN books a show here in San Diego on a Saturday (see Butthole Surfers and The Residents, just lately).

Sorry. Coachella is the closest thing I have in this world to a religion. And I think everyone should be able to get in on it but I also think you have to go for the whole thing to *really* experience it. And it's not like any day sucks, IMHO. There's not a bad day in the whole lineup, and that's just as announced. There will be additions that will make it even more appealing, though it may pit two must-see acts against each other.

Ov course, the true rock stars among us (Danelle, Thomas, I'm looking in your general direction) will get in free, VIP, and stress-free ;) I'll be looking for Thomas and Atousa's little red tee-pee that we saw them hanging out in, in the middle of the polo field, back in 2001.

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So there it is. If you're a die-hard or a douchebag, it's likely you'll be there. I'll greet the former with a hearty handshake and a smile, and the latter with a wallet-jacking that will leave you knowing what you've suspected all along.

Viva Coachella, and Viva Coachellans.

87 Days 'til Coachella - Lineup 1.0

2010 will be the 9th (?!) Coachella we've attended, and I have never been more impressed with an initial announcement as I am with this year's. I've always found a way to have an absolute BLAST when I go. Even last year, which had some amazing acts, but the schedule overall I felt was a bit of a stretch for three days.

This year's totally different. It's a total Coachella fan's lineup. Great reunions (PIL, De La Soul, Sly & the Family Stone), artists I haven't seen but am very much looking forward to seeing (MGMT, Devo, Grizzly Bear) acts I never thought I'd get to see (Gorillaz, Gil Scott-Heron, Orbital), and headliners that totally don't suck or scream "Goldenvoice are total whores!! We have no standards!! We just need money!!".

I mean, take any day. There are bands I'm TOTALLY excited to see on each and every day. My girlfriend asked me how I knew "all these bands" I was telling her about, and I realized that I maybe know half of the acts this year.

The crazy thing is, I'm pretty excited to see everyone I know, very curious to see everything I've only heard about, and anxious to check out all the stuff I've never heard of.

We'll see what the lineup looks like as the weeks roll on. My prediction: The Thin White Duke will end up headlining Saturday. I love Muse, and I think they're totally underrated, but that's also the reason I think they'll need to bring in a real heavy-hitter for ticket sales once we get closer to April and Saturday's still not sold out.

Check back often, comment on what a jackass I am, and then see you on the polo field!

This Week's SHAME: Scott Chipman of Pacific Beach

"This is truly drug dealers opening up shop in our neighborhoods."

-Scott Chipman on San Diego 6, 08 December, 2009

Hey Scott,

You're WRONG. You're just Palin (oops, I meant "plain" silly me) IGNORANT.

Or maybe the New England Journal of Medicine is wrong. I guess it's possible.

This is MEDICINE. Just like the pills we'd be sure to find if we raided any random Pacific Beach desperate housewife's MEDICINE cabinet.

Are you seeing a pattern here?

The people have spoken. They don't want people to suffer if they don't have to. Can you blame them?

If you want to take issue with that, fine. But we'll take issue with you.