Irish trio JJ72 announced its breakup yesterday, sparking this tribute from Tim. Said tribute also inspired today's theme. Dead Bands. Perhaps this bands will never make like Lazarus and rise from the beyond, but that is probably best considering how hit-or-miss nostalgic reunion tours can be.

One Dove "White Love"
(song removed)

One Dove was a dance trio from Scotland, which automatically made them cool because, as we all should know, Scots really kick ass on the musical battlefield. This is the album version, as it appeared on the band's only release Morning Dove White. If you are of a certain age, you probably heard it regularly on KROQ and MARS FM in Los Angeles. You can find used/sealed copies on Amazon. Then, if you haven't already, you should make your way through Dot Allison's high quality solo catalogue.

James "Just Like Fred Astaire"
(song removed)

This might actually be my favorite James song. At the very least, it's up there with "Hymn From a Village" and "Laid." Taken from the band's 1999 album Millionaires, this number actually wasn't considered a stronpoint for the band. In fact, it was the beginning of the downward spiral that led to the groups dissolution a few years later, or so says Wikipedia in the aforelinked article. This album was not released in the States, so you have to look around for used (maybe some new) import copies. I think that this was a stupid move, but I guess it makes sense. By 1999, everyone was going nuts over teen-crap and rap-rock. No room left on the charts for ballads that might even put Simply Red hits to shame.

The La's "Timeless Melody"
(song removed)

For those of us who grew up as Anglophiles in the U.S., this was the other La's song. We would hear it occasionally on the radio, see the video every now and then on 120 Minutes, but it didn't reach the level of popularity as "There She Goes." More importantly, it was not featured prominently in So I Married an Axe Murderer, which was one of the funniest movies of the decade (right up there with PCU and Wayne's World).
You probably already know about The La's because there is a behind-the-scenes tale that runs annually in some British music magazine. Plus, there is a book that looks like it might be good, but I haven't read it, so I wouldn't know. I think this is only still in print as an import. What's wrong with U.S.? How come I always have to pay import prices for stuff I like? So, not cool.

It's been a long day, one of those days when work requires you to spend a good chunk of the morning and afternoon stuck in gridlock with the sun beating through UV protected windows as you wonder how many times you might let the CD lapse. But that's over and now it's time to think about this weekend and how Dahlia is opening for The Hacker on Sunday. Here are my two favorite tracks off her latest CD, Plastique, which you can purchase from Ms. Dahlia herself if you go to the merch booth at the Key Club when you see her this weekend.

Dahlia "Cock Block"
(Song Removed)

If any of you remember Sassy or Riot Grrrl 7" singles, you might recall a song called "Hey Baby" by a band called Chia Pet, which was made up of some Sassy staffers. "Cock Block" reminds me of that song.

Dahlia "Burning Up"
(Song Removed)

If you are going to cover Madonna, you surely should cover the best Madonna song ever written, right? Correct. Dahlia actually released a version of this song about three or four years ago with her old band Galvanized. That was good, this is better.

I would post more Dahlia-ness, but this will have to do for now because you really need to get the CD. These are the fun songs. If you listen to the whole CD, you will realize that a lot of her work is pretty damn heartbreaking ("Truth or Dare," for example).

Last Friday was the first big party of the summer at Little Radio, conveniently located in the industrial area of Los Angeles. The venue was a formerly abandoned warehouse converted into a music venue by a trio of music lovers who wanted to create a new outlet for independent music in Los Angeles.

Last week, they hosted the first big party of the summer, Workout To Makeout with performances by This Blush, Monsters Are Waiting, and a DJ set by headliners MSTRKRFT (their first ever Los Angeles appearance).

Scene kids showed up in their best 80s workout and beach attire for the event.

Openers This Blush hit the stage at 10:30 but there wasn't much of a crowd to perform to yet.

I would've caught more of their set but I was running around the place looking for free gift bags and Sparks (it will never replace a Red Bull/Vodka!!).

Mmm, product placement! Liz and I had a brief conversation about drinks and the scenes they're tied into. Red Bull owns the screamo scene while mason jars filled with kitten tears own the Emo scene.

A little too 80s.

It's always a bittersweet moment when the photographer gets photographed: Ellie Johndro (Shadowscene) gets her picture taken.

Mr. Ash Kahn (Cryin' Tiger) and his lovely lady.

I don't know about you but a giant Gene Simmons would scare me off from drinking...

Gues who the night's main promoter was.

Le bar: Where many a great night begin!

Here we have members of Monsters Are Waiting setting up their gear for their set. They went on stage some time after 11, around the time when the venue really started to pack.

The band also dressed up for the event. Who wears short shorts?

Not him.

They're diggin' it.

They played a great set outside of their uninspired Stone Roses cover.

The Hearts Challenger ice cream truck: keeping scene kids cool after a hot night of dancing.

She forgot her sweatband.

REPREZENT!

It's what feeds the machine. Finally, the moment everyone waited for:

Producer Al-P

+

Jesse Keeler

=

MSTRKRFT. The duo spun for close to, if not, two hours.

Their debut LP won't be out for another month. I'm guessing the tour was to help spread the word about it. Obviously it worked.

The crowd danced all the way to the entrance!

I fought the war...

MSTRKRFT is so metal!!

Dancing fools.

We heart everything!

The night ended for me at 3 a.m. as I had a wedding to attend in a few hours (not my own) but half the crowd still stuck around until the wee minutes of the morning.

A huge high-five to everyone at Little Radio, iheartcomix, Love Yourself, Viva La Rock, Anthem Magazine & Spaceland for putting together a party to remember. Hopefully there will be more like it down the line.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to wash my sweatband.

It was a rare night when the balcony of the Knitting Factory was practically empty, so, despite the fact that Estelle and I showed up after Scientific Lifestyle took the stage, we were able to grab a booth. We chatted about whatever and, sometime by the end of headliner Colorforms' set, I ended up rambling about trying to find the 3 Pounds of Bacon tape that I know I have somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle that is my bedroom.
I go on these kicks where I have to find out whatever happened to such-and-such local band that my friends and I used to see play way back when. This 3 Pounds of Bacon thing is part of the whole cycle. The group consisted of three music majors who also hosted classical music programs on KXLU, which was where Estelle, Carlos and I all DJed. The music majors' secret, though, was that they were total metalheads. So, before Andrew W.K., Electric 6 or The Darkness, there were 3 Pounds of Bacon igniting a cock rock revival across campus and at select Silverlake clubs. Then there was a bit of a scandal involving on-air performances and pesky FCC rules and, well, the band sort of broke up shortly after that, which was disappointing on account of the fact that it was actually good. Long story less long, I need to find the freakin' tape.

Q: What did Liz see at Tower today?
A: New issue of Punk Planet.
Q: What is so special about this month's Punk Planet?
A: Liz has her second story in it. Check the Static section for a snip of a two-hours worth of conversation with Jason Forrest. Then go to his website and check out the music.

You should also check out the new pics on Megan's site. You will be impressed.

One last late-day update.

I almost forgot to post the flyers for my next DJ gig. Get ready because I'm invading the I.E. again one week from tonight. If you were at the last 'Til Tuesdays gig, you know that this club is a madhouse in the best way possible. For the L.A. kids, Riverside isn't that far. It's only a 40 minute drive and there is no traffic at night. Plus, since I know quite a few of you have June birthdays, I humbly suggest you make next Tuesday your swingin' birthday bash.

Monaco "What Do You Want From Me?"
(Song Removed)

Ah, Monaco, side-project of Peter Hook, a.k.a. favorite bassist of yours truly and probably every bass player in every band-of-this-moment, and David Potts, who previously worked with Hooky in Revenge. Wikipedia notes in the Hooky entry that Monaco scored an "alternative-radio hit" with this number. I can't remember ever hearing "What Do You Want From Me?" on the radio. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought 1997 was the year of milking dead cows (i.e. Sublime, Biggie, Tupac) and it was also the year wherein I described 99.9% of the new adds at KXLU as whinecore, which should be testament to the sorry state of college radio at the time. However, "What Do You Want From Me?" was a big hit at Cafe Bleu, which was thee club in 1997. It was also a big enough hit to transfer over to Bang! when it opened in 2000. In fact, I played "What Do You Want From Me?" nearly every week at Bang! until I left in mid-2003. IMHO, the success of "What Do You Want From Me?" can be credited to the "sha-la-la" bits. Sure, it's a dead-ringer for a New Order track, which automatically makes it hit-worthy, but "sha-la-la" bits can elevate any already-swell song to pop perfection.

Monaco "Sweet Lips"
(Song Removed)

Speaking of inate New Order-ness, doesn't this song, also taken from Monaco's first album, sound just like "World in Motion." The similarity to New Order's World Cup anthem is about as close as I'll ever get to World Cup mania. I try to get into the whole soccer thing, but the truth is that I'm not a sporty type of person and, if it isn't NCAA basketball, I probably just don't care.

As for the album overall, Music for Pleasure is about as late-1990s as it gets. There are loads of tranciness sneaking through the songs and numbers like "Buzz Gum," that ride the Oasis train. Mostly, you will want it for the aforementioned single. Used copies available on Amazon.

I have three things to say about tonight's gig at the Key Club.
1) Solvent made our drinks dance. No kidding. That's serious bass action.
2) Ectomorph actually covered "Shari Vari." I saw my friend DJ Dave Rape bouncing around to that number.
3) If you weren't there, you missed out big time. For real, man. The usual commentators around here (Carlos, Melissa, Tim, Robert) were all there and will probably tell you the same thing.

Here's my setlist.
Depeche Mode-- Darkest Star (Holden Mix)
Zoot Woman-- It's Automatic (Cosmo Acid Dub)
Miss Kittin-- Professional Distortion (Modeselector's Big Muff Mix)
Green Velvet-- Flash (Danny Tenaglia's Nitrous Oxide Mix)
Goldfrapp-- Slide In (DFA Mix)
Tiefschwarz-- Warning Siren
Prince-- Controversy (White Label Remix)
Dot Alison-- Substance (Felix da Housecat Mix)
Nitzer Ebb-- Join in the Chant
Bauhaus-- Kick in the Eye (Lee Coombs and David Phillips Mix)
Sisters of Mercy-- Alice (Dirty Funker Mix)
Covenant-- Bullet (Ellen Allien Mix)
Felix da Housecat-- What Does it Feel Like (Royksopp Return the Sun Mix)
Royksopp-- What Else is There (Thin White Duke Mix)
Bloc Party-- Like Eating Glass (Black Strobe Mix)
Digitalism v. The Cure-- Digitalism in Cairo
Miss Kittin and the Hacker-- Frank Sinatra
New Order-- Blue Monday
Trans X-- Living on Video
Swayzak-- I Dance Alone
Franz Ferdinand-- I'm Your Villain (Lindtrom Mix)
Bis-- The End Starts Today (Tommie Sunshine Mix)
DMX Krew-- Come to Me
Yaz-- Don't Go
Pet Shop Boys-- Flamboyant (Hell Mix)

Now, while we are on the subject of shows at the Key Club, I humbly suggest you check out the show posted below. Get there early enough to check out Dahlia. If you read this blog with some level of frequency, you might recall that she played four dates in L.A. last April and wowed us.

So, Amy and I went to Bang! last night. Long story short, we were hit upon precisely ten times throughout the course of the night. Really, you don't want to know too many details, since most of the ladies reading this know the story: Grossly intoxicated jerk tries to touch you and, when you back away, thinks that he will impress you by slurring through sentences and making eye contact only with your chest. The best instance though, was when a really short guy with a ponytail tried to pick up Amy on the dancefloor.
"I'm with her," she says pointing to me.
"She's married," I added.
"Oh, sorry," says the guy, looking at me like I could kick his ass.
"Hey, she's not married to me."

Anyhow, I heard last night that some pretty major recording artists have requested tickets for tonight's show (see below). I'm not going to name names, but if you want cult hero blog-fodder for Monday, you might want to show up tonight.
In the meantime, my guestlist is open. This doesn't happen very often, so take advantage of the situation and hit me up if you want to go down to the Key Club tonight. You can email me at lizziegolightly@gmail.com or you can leave a comment here with your first and last name. You will be on the list with a +1. You must contact me before 6 p.m., otherwise I won't get the message.