So I got to thinking about the Boy Least Likely To again because it occurred to me that their second album was supposed to have come out this summer, and I must own my own copy of “A Balloon On A Broken String” an example them at their very best, all sweet glockenspiel-synth pop and adorable heartfelt lyrics. Unfortunately, that bit about the album coming out this summer was apparently all a lie. I can’t find any evidence of it anywhere. However, rumor has it that their soon to be iconic cartoon characters, which adorn all their albums, will take three dimensional form as knit stuffed animals.

 I could not be more pleased about this.  A pointless bit of trivia to some, I can’t help but be fascinated by album art and other forms of packaging/merchandising of bands. And this is so cool; the charming, childish and somewhat creepy creatures drawn for the band by Jof Owen’s brother, Tim. And the reason this is so perfect is because their music has been described by those who ought to know (Rolling Stone) as sounding as if, “all your childhood stuffed animals got together and started a band.” And soon they will be! So check ‘em out. If you like adorable critter country pop, they’re pretty much the only band working that genre right now.

http://www.myspace.com/theboyleastlikelytouk

Tuesday: The Cinematic Orchestra (at the Troubadour)
I cannot express how incredible they are live, you will have to experience it for yourself. If you aren’t familiar with their music, its jazzy, electronic, and soothing. My favorite album of theirs, Man with a Movie Camera was written as a soundtrack to the 1929 Russian silent film of the same name. Somewhere on the internet you can find the movie with the soundtrack applied to it (here’s a preview on youtube, where you can watch the whole thing in 9 parts) -it’s the coolest thing ever. Everything lines up perfectly. But I digress, go see them live, you will not be disappointed. 

Wednesday
The Low End Theory is a night at a club called The Airliner in Downtown LA. If you haven’t caught on yet, it is hip hop based yet many electronic artists DJ there frequently. Resident DJ’s incude Daddy Kev, Nobody, Gaslamp Killer, D-Styles among others. This week they are celebrating Big Dada rapper K-the-I???’s (yes that’s his name) release party. Next month, Flying Lotus will be making an appearance that you will not want to miss. (18+) 

Thursday
El Guincho is playing at the echo. He’s a crazy dude from Spain who makes tribe-like worldly pop music. Guaranteed to give you a good show and a fun time.

And for those 21+, a bit of a party will be going down at the Roosevelt Hotel with a pop-up store from my favorite vintage/designer clothes store, Apartment 3. There will be music, swimming, and shopping and it will be happening weekly. Here’s the info. 

Friday 
The one and only DAEDELUS (+  Busdriver, etc) at the one and only Ground Zero Coffee House brought to you by us, KSCR. $5 donation would be nice, yes. And if you can’t appreciate Daedelus’s music, please get yourself checked, and if you haven’t heard him, check him out!!!

Saturday: Hauschka and Tom Brosseau at Largo (i think its 21+)
I’m going to have to oppress my ridiculous fan-girl excitement but OH MY GOD. Tom Brosseau has the most beautiful voice ever. He goes around with a guitar and serenades the world with his woeful songs. And Hauschka put out one of my favorite albums this year - Ferndorf. A mix of classical, ambient, electronic beauty. If there was a genre for him, it would be “experimental piano.” 

And that is all I know of so far. Have fun and be safe people.
 

It’s been about two years since KSCR released an actual magazine.  This however, is all about to change.  Everyone, mark your calendars!  Coming December 8th to USC campus and local Los Angeles venues is BANDWIDTH MAGAZINE, the fruition of several months of hard labor, intellectual pursuits, heavy music listening, and way too much procrastination.  And this time we’re even publishing parts of it in fucking color!  Excited?  You should be.  Here’s what to look forward to:

The Best of Music, Movies, and Pop Culture, of 2008

CMJ Coverage

Everything Hip In LA

KSCR Concerts

A Witty and Humorous Back Cover

And More!

So if you’d like to own a priceless art work, than BANDWIDTH MAGAZINE is your calling.  It’ll feature all of the above plus wonderful pictures and other oddities, and it really is priceless, because it’s fucking free!  So be sure to pick one up on campus or at your local music venue on December 8th!

(Other Lives in Chicago. Photo from Flickr via Robert Loerzel)

Yesterday, KSCR brought in Other Lives from Stillwater, Oklahoma to our studios for a live set, a little guest DJing, and an interview. The ultra-charming, super nice five piece rocked our tiny, yellow Studio B with authentic folk. (I’ll try uploading an MP3 later) The show at the Echo with What Made Milwaukee Famous for the Little Ones CD release party, complete with balloon animals and cotton candy, was ultra fun as well! The three bands play again tonight at the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa.

Make sure you listen to our Live Show every Friday at 2pm!

(No Age courtesy of Sub Pop)

Shockhound is handing out FREE tickets to see No Age at the Troubadour on Tuesday December 2nd with Titus Andronicus. I have had no reason to go to the Troubadour in over a year, but would gladly take the opportunity to trek to West Hollywood to see these Obama lovers get wild.

Here’s the link.

James Bond is back and badder than ever. I could go on about the movie, but I have no doubt it will be reviewed out the yin yang by Sunday—what’s really cool is this Bond’s theme song. A collaboration between Jack White and Alicia Keys, “Another Way To Die” rocks. It might just be the song that finally earns the Bond franchise (marked by its swinging theme songs) a long awaited Oscar award. Originally, Amy Winehouse was supposed to record the track, in the style of an old school Bond chanteuse; but I think Alicia Keys vocals were a perfect surprise. And the mini music video playing under the opening credits was perfect for it, too. A super retro ‘70s look, with giant undulating sand women and Daniel Craig walking around. It looked as if it were real film, and had an overall grainy quality, which visually matched the sound of the song. I’d shell the 8 bucks just to see that again.

Onra is a young producer from Paris that I had never heard of until discovering his most recent album, Chinoiseries. The samples used here are of traditional Vietnamese music he picked up at a flea market while on a trip there. Juxtaposed with ill beats reminiscent of Jay Dee’s Donuts & Madlib’s Beat Konducta in India, these samples, although heavily oriental, become accessible and enjoyable to any hip-hop lover. The sound of crackling vinyl can be heard underneath everything, bringing you closer to the music & giving it a vintage gloss. Unlike his predecessors, Onra perfects each track leaving little room for mediocrity. In the past, instrumental hip-hop has proven to be either bland or unfinished- sometimes both. For many of these artists, beats were fragmentary ideas for full songs, seemingly thrown together at the last minute with little thought or concern for mastering the tracks. Here, however, we see a perfectionist, a strong believer in his own work, and an artist who is showcasing his talents. Each track, although only around a minute long, flows into the next one and does not fail to excite the listener. It is safe to say that this is my favorite instrumental hip hop album this year (along with Flying Lotus’s Los Angeles). In the future I would love to hear some artists rap over these beats and am keeping my fingers crossed that he will gain enough recognition to tour in the United States.

Listen to some here and here.

With the changing of seasons comes another dismal opportunity to create a [brand new] playlist, befitting the not so sudden, and ever so slight drop in temperature that generally occurs as we plunge deeper into the year, and consequently deeper into that pile of leaves, which at USC is that mire of papers that has gathered around one’s desk– the intensity of it depending wholly on your personal level of procrastination, a direct measurement of exactly how many days you chose to dance in an inebriated state to M.G.M.T. (to whom no one has a reason to listen to except for the reason above) instead of doing work.

Regardless, Matt Berninger may have been doing likewise in his younger days as he reflects back on the autumn season.

The National- “Mr. November”

 
“I used to be carried in the arms of cheerleaders”.

With his cavernous deep voice and well carved cheekbones, it is not difficult to see understand why, as this lead singer proves awkward looks to be an unnecessary (although common) component to being frontman of an indie band.

Kudos to those of you already familiar with the band, shaking your head to my cliche choice of song for said playlist, which is not so cliche at all with the exception of the title itself..

Those of you familiar with the band, but unaware of the existence of albums other than Boxer, should have their indie status examined.

Those fully aware and fond of all albums, especially the Virginia EP, should lose their hipster status altogether… (I mean, half of the new EP wasn’t even new).

For those who’ve never heard the band, here’s a chance to have a listen and redeem yourself:

http://www.myspace.com/thenational

Have a listen, but if your immediate reaction is to add them as a friend, then you my friend, are behind the times. Dear reader, what are you doing with an active myspace and without a proper blog account?

I guess that’s what we’re for. So stay tuned and keep reading.