The following is a conversation between Balthazar Monsoon and myself. It is edited only so that: a) You can't find us on AIM; b) It makes sense; c) It's not so long and tedious and d) Blogger doesn't turn the conversation into a series of odd squares and squiggly lines.

LO: So, what is your honest opinion of Witching Hour?

BM: I like it. Most bands are trying to recreate what they did on the previous album and end up being a parody of themself (i.e. depeche mode's Exiter), but Ladytron has progressed on Witching Hour. They've got their synths, but they've added some guitars, which is good.

LO: You think that Exciter is self-parody? I wasn't that hot on the album, but self-parody seems a bit more like Madonna's American Life album.

BM: That too. Madonna doesn't even know what she's doing anymore.

LO: I'll tell you that I honestly love this album. I think it shows Ladytron's development as a band and expands upon the Krautrockish influences of the first two albums (primarily the debut). However, I have a feeling they just signed a death sentence.

BM: Oh yeah, people who loved their 80s synth sound are going to be upset.

LO: Think about it, this is a band that was associated with the whole "electroclash" thing, which in a way fizzled, but then was reborn as Madonna's current output, Gwen Stefani's solo album and a crapload of hip hop artists. If their first major label release was as easy to throw into the 80s revival market as the first two, it would probably explode. However, the album is already out and NOBODY is playing it. Nor are there any major magazine articles.

BM: Are you serious? That's a crying shame.

LO: Seriously, I listen to KROQ and Indie everyday and haven't heard it on either. I also ready pretty much everything at the magazine stand. Come to think of it, I haven't heard it on KCRW or KXLU either.

BM: Wow.

LO: I think it has too much going on artistically for an industry as conservative as the music industry to handle. I feel sad saying that because this is my favorite Ladytron album.

BM: Yeah, it's rather varied.

LO: "Destroy Everything You Touch" is one of the best songs they've written. It's on par with, if not better than, "Playgirl."

BM: I'm listening to that now. I'm grooving to it.

LO: And it should be able to hit the alternative market in the way that the bigger shoegaze artists did in the early 1990s.

BM: Oh, totally.

LO: There is something over the whole album that reminds me of Lush and My Bloody Valentine.

BM: Seriously. You could totally play MBV's "Soon" right after "Everything You Touch."

LO: That's what I was thinking! Also, we have to mention Spacemen 3. ..I would bet that they were listening to Spacemen 3 before recording this.

BM: MBV was on the Softcore Jukebox compilation, as were !!! and the Fall. I'm thinking SJ was a mixed cd of their influences.

LO: Makes perfect sense. I'm really happy that they have gone further with the psyche influence here.

BM: I like this shift they did.

LO: Yeah, it works well. I don't think that a lot of the other bands who had the synth influence going in the early-2000s could do something like this.

BM: Totally.

LO: But, then, even 604 was more Stereolab than Larry Tee.

LO: BTW, the keyboards on "Soft Power" remind me of "I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight," despite the fact that the song overall sounds like Legendary Pink Dots c. 1990.

BM: You're right about the synths on "Soft Power."

LO: There's another song on here "Fighting in Built Up Areas" that reminds me of [Serge Gainsbourg's song] "Contact." I'm trying to figure out what language they use on that song.

BM: It's probably Bulgarian. She did "Nuhorizons" in Bulgarian.

LO: Yeah, I wish they had a lyric sheet. Any final comments on the album?

BM: This album shows more of their influences on the SJ compilations. You can hear MBV, !!! and The Fall rather clearly as well and the Nancy Sinatra vocal influence. This may not be a commercial success, but it's a damn good album.

I recently interviewed Constantines for Razorcake (I think the issue is out next month) and the stipulation for getting said interview published was that we obtain pictures that are not publicity photos and not lame. That said, I roped Megan, who took some pretty intense Babyland photos at one of our Discourse parties earlier this year, into photographing the band live. Hence, we headed out to the Knitting Factory last night, where each of us spent roughly a half-hour a piece finding parking spots as KF's parking garage was closed for some reason and, well, you try finding parking anywhere around Hollywood & Highland in the evening.
On our way inside, we ran into Comrade Kyle, who told us that he was there to see headlining act the Hold Steady. I told him we were there for Constantines.
"They're good," he replied. "The Hold Steady is better."
Maybe twenty minutes after that, as Megan wandered off to get the action shots, I ran into KXLU's Bret.
"The band after this is terrible," he told me.
"Kyle told me they were awesome."
"Well...I ended up at a show of theirs in San Francisco and they dissed Los Angeles."
Hey, what's up with that?
With Kyle and Bret's capsule reviews of The Hold Steady canceling out each other, I was left with a blank slate upon which to review the band. However, we didn't stay that long on account of having to finish work and all. Eh, maybe Kyle will post something.
Constantines, on the other hand, were much better than even I had expected, putting together a headliner set despite the fact that they were the opening band. Beginning with "Draw Us Lines," the first song off of the new cd Tournament of Hearts, Constantines took the components of an impressive body of work and transformed it into nearly one-hour of sublime madness: head-pounding drums; raspy vocals; guitars that ranged from 90s-crunch to 70s-funk. It seemed like the songs might never end and that was just fine.
As an aside, I noticed that the band's acid-wash clad bassist, Dallas Wehrle looks a hell of a lot like a certain member of Crom. Who would have thought that the Crom guys have dopplegangers up in Canada? Not I.

Should you ever come across a caravan of cross-country traveling artists invading a Silverlake sushi bar/actual bar with one laptop between the lot of them heed my advice: don't blink because you might miss one of the acts.
When I realized that there was roughly a thirty-second lull between each performance, I got a bit nervous. Shit, did we miss Mad Happy? Fortunately, the answer was no.
The downside of the performance was that there were so many artists on the bill (I think we caught 5 out of 7 or something like that), that we suffered from band fatigue. Sarah, my cohort for the evening, and I discussed this phenomena on our ride back to the 818. There comes a point when one sits through so many acts that everything begins to blend together. Band A blurs into Band B, which all but obstructs proper viewing of Band C. Thus, by the time Bands E and F take to the stage, the show becomes one rock show montage notable only for the nagging thought in the back of your head that you probably should have brought earplugs. That's band fatigue.
Most of last night was a sonic haze of, well, stuff. There was a folk singer rallying the crowd to join in a chant regarding the uses of ostriches, a hip-hop artist from Louisiana dressed in white from the tip of his hat, to the bottom of his socks. Mostly, I remember the huge white chain hanging from his neck. There was a girl who looked like the widow in a noire film and offered Princess Superstar-style rhymes. Then there were Zef Noi$e and Mad Happy.
After the show, I learned that Zef Noi$e has collaborated with Psychic TV. He is the drum'n'bass violinst, tearing his instrument to shreds all Satriani-like as the beats raced towards a 200+ bpm finish line. It was intense. And loud. And it was then that I realized that I really should have brought my earplugs.
Mad Happy played a very short set of four songs: "Loaded Up;" "Renegade Geeks;" "Paint it Pink" and "File 2 the Metal." Partners Mike Ill and Rivka have a good vocal chemistry, going back and forth between rap and song without losing touch of where one or the other was heading, and write some damned catchy songs. I think Sarah and I were about ready to start singing a long by the end of "Paint it Pink." After hearing it live, I didn't think "File 2 the Metal" would end up being my favorite Mad Happy number (I thought that honor would go to "Loaded Up"), but after listening to the MP3, I realized that "File 2 the Metal" is the track. Here it on their My Space page.

Whilst talking to some friends, I realized that it seems as though we're all going to see Depeche Mode at some point on the tour, but at different stops. So, I had an idea to get as many people posting on as many different stops on the tour as possible. That said, if anyone is planning on seeing Depeche Mode and wants to write about it, leave me a message and we'll talk. As it stands, Estelle and I are heading down to San Diego and a few of the other contributors are going to be at one or the other Staples gigs and maybe there is a Pond gig in there too. I don't know all the details yet, but this seems like a fun way to get a perspective on how crowds and shows change across the tour route. I am especially interested in hearing from people who are catching gigs outside of California.
Either email me at lizziegolightly@gmail.com or leave a message in the comment section.

• Boards of Canada have a new album out today in the UK, The Campfire Headphase. The download-only single, "Oscar See Through Red Eyes" is available at Bleep.
• Remixer extraordinaire, Ewan Pearson, just released a mixed cd off of Scotland's Soma Records. Sci Fi Hi Fi Vol 1 looks like the sort of thing yours truly really needs for long car rides. Find information on the album here and read the story behind his selections on Pearson's blog.
• The fourth annual Saturation Festival will keep the I.E. on its toes starting this Thursday night. Friends of the People, Winston and the Telescreen will play the opening night event at The Falconer in Riverside, alongside The Human Value and Mantastique. It's 21+ and there is no cover. Check the websites for more bands set to play.
• It's KXLU Fundrazor time again. Through Friday, your favorite indie smash hits will be pre-empted for the sound of college kids pleading for the change in between your sofa cushions. Keep in mind that it is more painful to be the kid talking for four hours straight than the one who is listening in the car (at least you can change the station) and Fundrazor is the only way KXLU can continue running free from commercials, corporate intervention, blah blah blah for the next year. Go get yourself a nice keychain. To pledge by phone, call (310) 338-5958. If the web is your pleasure, fill out a donation form online.
• On a final note: Margaret Wappler, were you even at Franz Ferdinand's show on the 7th?

Today, 10/17/05, Indie 103.1 is broadcasting live from the new Virgin Megastore at Hollywood and Highland. Now, I'm not much of a fan of Virgin Megastore and Hollywood & Highland is the grossest monstrosity to pop up like a puss-filled zit across our city's landscape, but Rob Dickinson is playing live at rought 5:30 p.m. PST. Also on the bill are Gang of Four, INXS and Dredg.

Still anxious about hearing that new Depeche Mode album for the first time? It's on My Space.

Also, check out FletchCam.