The Vandelles kill Surf City

ILLUSTRATION by LUKE MCGARRY

Band Vandelles was once two littler bands called Del Black Aloha and the Mercenary Gang—one a Suicide-style bit-drums and nihil set-up and one just half-hour rafts of noise, says guitarist Dave Herbert, who (with guitarist/vocalist Jason Schwartz, drummer Suzanne Pagliorola, bassist Lisha Nadkarni and a yet-unchristened drum machine) [...]

How Valley Arena did not jump their career in accounting

PHOTO by TODD WEAVER

Valley Arena soldiers on and soldiers on: When their labels go under, Valley Arena finishes the record anyway, and when their bass players leave, Valley Arena iPods volunteer backing tracks, and when guitarist Chris Stevens (full disclosure: Dude used to cover for me [...]

I’m resurrecting a post I made when I was sick because Katie The Pest is playing FULL BAND at Prospector tonight (Talia, drummer Mike, Valley Arena Warren Woodward on guitar and also appearing in the paper tomorrow and Joe Suitor on bass) with Family Tree, who Katie politely urges you and me to come see, [...]

Oh, she’s great. Modest in everything but guitar and voice, I said. Echo on guitar and drums and voice a glow as much a sound. Let’s apply the liner notes to my Sammi Smith LP:

Here’s a list of some LB things for you to think about if you’re not set on plans tonight…

Bouchees Bistro—possibly best ascendent restaurant in Long Beach—is now offering a SUNDAY BUBBLY BRUNCH (or some similar name; I did not lift menu for fact-checking as I left) with sparkly wines for corner-cutters/slow risers but the colossal draw is of course a chance for Bouchees omelettes, Bouchees pancakes and special Bouchees breakfast burgers—special Bouchees breakfast [...]

Webmasters listen to music too…

PHOTO Kurt Simonson
A few years back when I was going to CSULB I had the great fortune of meeting a young man named A. Wesley Chung, a nice, quiet guy with too much plaid in his closet. Wesley is one of those guys that you might know for months, thinking [...]

I just checked this out. Half is elaborate Lincoln fetishism—giant paintings and really custom skateboards and lots of stuff—and the other half is cutesy tentacle monsters rubbin’ suckers, and the other half isn’t up yet. Anyway: Theo and Ellen should go to this. You should to, reading human. And you know what? I have a [...]

Beautiful post @ WFMU on Country Fuzztone: country songs with fuzz lead guitar. I have tried to track these down myself via guys like Ray Taylor and maybe Don Feger, and this post (aided by Deke Dickerson!) has lots of great stuff (Carl Butler, Johnny Darrell, later Wanda Jackson) and a few cool clunkers, and [...]

Little bites and clips for what’s up tonight, like that Get Out thing I once did during darker times, but smaller. As said: all these shows cost money and probably start about showtimeish (9-10 PM?) and all these shows TONIGHT!

DON CABALLERO @ ALEX’S: Steel City loudness from Damon Che’s metalworkers (now on Relapse) plus locals [...]