Local musician reviews vegetables as if they were Transformers

This could be the funniest video since the Black Metal dad ‘n daughter building (and then burning) a church made from popsicle sticks (you can re-watch “The cutest church burning ever” here).

In this new video, “Arugulord 73″ reviews Swiss Chard as if it were a rare Transformer.

Can you guess the voice (hint: it’s a local L.A. rocker).

If you like Transformers, or vegetables, you must watch this video…

Posted by: Sean Carnage · in · VIDEOS - Tags: The Monolators

May 25th, 2010

Meet the Cochina Fest bands, part 1

For the better part of the last decade, avant-folkist Chris Payne (aka Whitman) has asked handfuls of his favorite LA bands to join him for the annual Cochina Fest. Boasting an alumni roster that reads like a “who’s-whom” of the best in Southern California’s millennial underground, the festival encourages bands to creatively re-think their approach and utilize acoustic instruments, toys, and even the environment around them to present their tunes in an entirely electricity-free context. In Cochina’s press release, Chris states that the goal of the fest is “not only to poke fun at large corporate festivals, such as Coachella, but to provide a solution to them.”

This year’s installment of Cochina takes place the weekend of June 5 and 6 at Higginbotham Park in Claremont. It’s free to attend, and it features performances by many heavyweights from the Monday night Pehr scene. In the lead-up to the festival, I’ve asked a few of the participants to tell me about what they’re doing to prepare for the lack of electricity at the fest. What follows is part one of a three-part feature, with more bands to be profiled next Tuesday on this site. Make sure to come back on Friday, June 4 for part three, a video playlist of the bands’ favorite moments from the greatest on-going acoustic festival in history: MTV’s Unplugged.

Keep going to check out profiles and mp3s from four of Cochina’s featured bands…

Posted by: Geoff Geis · in · FEATURES, MP3 - Tags: Cochina Fest, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Moses Campbell, So Many Wizards, The Monolators

April 13th, 2010

Monday re-cap: Tripping endlessly…fearlessly

I had a moment of heaven last night. Nuexpe (aka Yoshitake Expe, aka Nutron) ripped out wah-wah vocoder electric guitar licks that were so beautiful they made me cry. Yes, this dude had more pedals than Guitar Center. But Nuexpe also had the balls to be totally and shamelessly free and himself.

How very fitting Nuexpe found his way to Pehr. It was a night full of fearless performances.

NO AGE AT PEHRSPACE THIS MONDAY! PLUS: NEW PHOTOS OF THE MONOLATORS, CALDERA LAKES, MILTON MELVIN CROISSANT, DUGOUT CANOE, EMA & THE GHOSTS, AND CRISTINA’S PUPPET SHOW!!!

This past Monday’s show was a very, very special event. It was the last night of the Monolators month-long programming of my Mondays. The Monolators did an **outstanding** job!!

Mary Monolator made different wristbands every week, she and the band decorated the space according to different themes, and they integrated their music with that of friends’ bands that had never played Pehrspace before—as well as sharing bills with bands they had never encountered before. These are brave, brave Monolators!

Then there was their music—WOW! Of all the bands I have offered a four (or five) week stint to, none has ever attempted to play their entire catalog over the successive weeks. The Monolators did it! Now we all know where they came from and, most tantalizingly, where their rock is headed… To the stars!!! Their mix of punk, garage, indie and pop just sparkles. It’s not the most outre thing I’ve booked—that wasn’t the point. The Monolators’ music is designed with attention to all the important details—the tunes, the words, and the rock momentum all coalesce into greatness at their hands. It makes a rock fan like me go “Ah!” In short, perfection.

On top of ALL that, Mary and Eli and all their Monolator mates past and present were just terrific, laid back people to work with. They were extremely inspiring. At the end of last Monday’s show I was actually SAD! It was depressing to think that I wouldn’t be seeing/hearing the Monolators and their wonderful audience this next Monday.

But then I cheered up—they can come back again! And they will. Watch the calendar page for updates—we’re gonna schedule a big Monolators show soon.

Caldera Lakes was a surprise addition to the bill, replacing and incorporating Eva’s Kevin Shields project. I dunno what it is about these two together. Others might have attempted similar music, only to have it become some precious art wankery. Not Caldera Lakes. They use sound to create a rift in space thru which all other dimensions can be glimpsed. Again, perfection.

Ugh—this show was sooo packed and insane at the front door that I did not get great photos of Milton Melvin Croissant or Dugout Canoe. So frustrating! I heard Dugout Canoe’s amazing set of one man spectacularness from the line at the bathroom. I didn’t dare leave my place in line to take photos—I really had to pee! It was a similar story with Milton—a ton of people poured in during his set and I took care of that, but missed the opportunity to take photos. Wah. Anyhow, I wouldn’t want Dugout Canoe or Milton to feel slighted—I thoroughly enjoyed their music and hope they will come back. Milton was surprising—his tunes were incredibly heartfelt and wonderful. Our longtime Monday buddies Health showed up sometime in the middle of the show there, and I noticed them grooving to both Denver artists. And they’re, like, serious touring musicians at this point who have heard it all, so that’s saying something that the Denver dudes pricked up their ears.

Ema & the Ghosts was arresting as always. Can this woman put on a bad show? I think not! Her songs were wonderful, and everyone was enraptured. Extra special shout out to Ema for providing back-up vox for the Monolators on various weeks.

Cristina’s puppet show opened the night and everyone including me was so psyched! Where else can you get something like this at a rock/noise show!? Thank you, Cristina, for bringing your puppetry to Monday Night. Again, it was hard to get photos of this—we had an amazing audience that just kept pouring in so I was busy!

This Monday is also a special, special event (alas without the Monolators):

No Age and New No Age have been added to the show!!

NO AGE AT PEHRSPACE!!!

Without a doubt, this Monday’s concert will be one that is talked about for years to come. DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW!!!

Monday, December 1st

Sean Carnage presents…
No Age
New No Age
E&E
Faav!
Blue Glasses
Tleilaxu Music Machine
Ghost Towne

Show starts 9:30pm / $5 / all-ages

Pehrspace—325 Glendale Blvd., in Echo Park

See you there?

Cristina’s Puppet Show!!!