A free matinee show broke loose as the waves and beachgoers crashed in on the US Surf Open at Huntington Beach. In other words, Southern California natives, The Soft Pack and Cold War Kids, were shredding the local tides apart with their show tunes on Tuesday, Aug. 3.

The sand between my toes was nothing in comparison to the sweaty and naked beachcomber backs brushing up against my comfort zone. The crowd was a mix of curious shoobies, groupies, and freemongers in the least disastrous sense.

It seems as if The Soft Pack are always a part of every show I attend, but hearing “Answer to Yourself” and “Extinction” brought a cool breeze of familiarity.

The concertgoers didn’t really get down to the music, until Cold War Kids started playing the good stuff. When introducing the song, lead vocals Nathan Willett thanked the “Santa Ana Winds” for the beautiful weather. They played favorites like “Hang Me Up To Dry” towards the middle and ended with “We Used to Vacation” and “Hospital Beds.” Towards the finish, a helicopter flew above the stage, giving the perfect visual to the lyrics, “Put out the fire boys.”

Overall, I wasn’t beach bummed because the show was a drop of golden sun and a note to follow so. It was as if an occult hand had sprinkled the turf with sunny delight.

—Katrina Guevara

The fourth installation of Hipsters Who Heart Hip Hop hosted by Adam Weiss and Jayk Gallagher was like a traveling circus that opened its doors to the Los Angeles neighborhood of Silverlake and Echo Park at last. As the full moon beamed over the Silver Echo Gallery, the night got more intense while everyone was predominately loitering or clowning around the vicinity.

The event started at 8pm with no one at the scene of the crime when Jayk Gallagher and Adam Weiss were awkwardly freestyling back and forth. After more attendees came through and WEAVE! set up their instruments, K-the-I??? took the floor and swamped the crowd with his trip-hop beats and newer material like the man machine he is. As I took a photo of him, he jokingly said, “Hey, it’s you!” This is a testament to the intimacy and interactivity of the event. He was succeeded by the birthday girl, Sirah, who wore a crown to add to the pink balloons, party streamers, and piñatas for her celebration. Next up, VerBS and Intuition delivered a good show as usual and sparked the dance energy to another level while moving around and breaking apart the circle. Open Mike Eagle, Ceschi Ramos, and Moka Only were only an addition to the trouble to come, ending their tour at this last stop. To sprinkle the night with even more variety, WEAVE! had a jam session that would loosen any artificial locks. Even though there was a set list of musicians, it didn’t end there, since the open mic portion ironically closed the night. Looking around, the venue was full of love and hip hop stars from the scene, including Bigg Jus (Company Flow), Existereo (The Shape Shifters), Thavius Beck, Blackbird, Dumbfoundead and others.

Overall, Hipsters Who Heart Hip Hop is a must-see monthly event that brings onlookers into another realm, in which the indie DIY spirit dominates the recessive hip hop show genome without tampering with the music. It’s best to come through the doors withholding judgment and embracing the longevity and novelty of the L.A. music scene.

—Katrina Guevara

Cults were the last act preceeded by Superhumanoids, Charles Young, and Crystal Antlers. They began with no interruptions with the exception of a tall story. “The Curse” was played in the beginning and summoned any western dry spells, acting like a cactus cooler to the collective perspiration. “Most Wanted” is a mix of wishful thinking and a beehive-less Shangri-Las with topics about dainty despair sung with cutesy nagging. “Go Outside” succeeded the ever-so bouncy and aquatic “Oh My God,” giving the crowd what they’ve been longing for since the Bandcamp days. The room stopped after that because the band couldn’t give any encore performances for the lack of familiarity with other songs.

Cults have not only grown in terms of their fan-base, but also as a traveling band with their first-ever Los Angeles show. Madeleine and Brian get by with the help of their friends as well as family, since Will McLaren and Madeline’s brother Richie James of Willowz joined the band. All long-haired friends may look alike, but Cults look like a revival movement of 1960s soul and pop that incorporate the likes of Jim Jones, too.

—Katrina Guevara

—Katrina Guevara (words + photo)

Concert goers lined up as much as a block against the red brick wall, ringing around the Henry Fonda. All of them waited powerlessly for Vampire Weekend’s sold out release show for their sophomore album Contra under XL Records. Just the previous night, New Yorker’s Ezra Koenig (lead vocals, guitar), Rostam Batmanglij (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Chris Tomson (drums, percussion), and Chris Baio (bass guitar, vocals) performed on the Tonight Show with Conan. It was also the same day that Myspace friends received notifications that Vampire Weekend’s page was about to be deleted. False alarm. Very Be Careful Opened, but soon made way for Vampire Weekend. The quartet looked spiffy in button-down polos. Ezra was post-Christmas preppy in red and green, but was a present nonetheless. They performed amidst the background of their album cover with a mysterious polo-loving muse, looking rather unkempt with dilated pupils and a candid smirk. It’s so Ivy League, which is fitting for the college band, offering their music to the muse. Vampire Weekend opened with “White Sky,” which showcased their traditional sound. “Holiday” elevated the energy level with Ezra’s yelps and falsettos. The drums and guitars riffs then changed pace and range, while Ezra made introductory zoo noises to “Cousins.” “Run” sounds like a nostalgic and bouncy Hellogoodbye theme. Afrobeat was evident in “Diplomat’s Son.” Eventually, Vampire Weekend concocted a cocktail of new and old tracks, taking the crowd back to where it all started with “A-Punk.” Before ending the 80-minute show with “Horchata” and “Walcott,” the crowd was just getting warmed up by the new tunes, since they invested more energy into the throwback songs. Vampire Weekend have proved that they’ve graduated from their college band image.

—Katrina Guevara

New Yorkers Thurston Moore (vocals, guitar), Kim Gordon (vocals, bass, guitar), Lee Ranaldo (vocals, guitar), Steve Shelley (bass) and Mark Ibold (drums) of Sonic Youth have come from the past into the present to see how they have paved the way for the current music scene. Whether they be labeled alternative rock, no wave, or indie rock, they have redefined music for all ages, whether music buffs admit it or not.

Sonic Youth played one of the last regional dates on their Eternal tour presented by 89.9 KCRW Saturday at the Wiltern. The show was sold out, with an original date on the ticket as Sept. 29, 2009.   After Sic Alps opened, Sonic Youth came on at 9 p.m. Thurston lackadaisically walked on stage as if he were part of the stage crew, but he then strummed some notes to “Antenna,” which made the room glow with euphoria and nostalgia. “No Way” had its punkish way with the audience, causing the lights to flicker and brain waves to scintillate. “Sacred Trickster” put the show on the road as even the lights tuned in to the beats. Sonic Youth performed other songs off their sixteenth and latest album under Matador Records, The Eternal. Meanwhile, the fans were tentatively watching, smoking weed, or drinking beer. “Leaky Lifeboat” was dedicated to L.A. Poets, and from there they continued playing amidst a backdrop of burned paper-like art imitating life. Ranaldo, who had broken his wrist from tennis, was now able to have his part during “Walkin’ Blue.” After giving the audience their money and time’s worth, Sonic Youth traveled back to the ’80s and ’90s, finishing with two encore performances. Overall, the SY aficionados couldn’t have had a better 90 minutes experiencing the dissonant and merrymaking immortal musicians. Even though they are sonic and middle aged, their music will live on eternally. Overrated or underrated, Sonic Youth will continue to have sold out shows without selling out.

—Katrina Guevara (words + photo)

We Are They World

We Are They World performed promptly at 9pm. A la coed Blue Man Group, they wore avant-garde kimonos and masks that displayed themselves as unisexual. They throbbed and danced like Cirque du Soleil acrobats. Next up was MEN, with frontwoman JD Samson, Michael O’Neill (guitar), and Ginger Brooks Takahashi (bass). The hours wait energized the crowd even more while they were entertained by the openers, who were also big supporters of the LGBT and feminist community.

MEN

As everyone’s cell phone clocks struck 11 o’clock, the fragments of fog and light beamed on  Nathan Paine (guitarist) and Hannah Billie (drummer) playing beats to “Dimestore Diamond.” However, Beth Ditto (vocalist) was nowhere to be seen. She entered as the lights flickered to the right, amplifying the stage. She was dressed in a black and yellow mummy wrap-printed, off-shoulder dress. Her hair was on fire, and her lips pulsated with pizzazz to every note she reached. Holding the mic gave her voluminous power to belt out her pipes and to crack her jokes. The stage and crowd only reciprocated each other’s electricity throughout the night. “Pop Goes The World” came next, and it only implanted a stronger message about having a say in society. Ditto interacted with the roaring crowd like a gospel punk preacher to the soulful choir. She even apologized for not hitting the notes due to a cold. Their act lasted over an hour, but time went by and “Standing in the Way of Control” ended the night perfectly. Even when the Gossip ended, they were pushed to their limits and played three encores, including Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” Using Queen’s “We Are The Champions” as a rally for the LGBT to fight for their rights, the night could have not been a better celebration for the victorious community.

The Gossip trio, much like a tripod, is held up with much support from self-loving people. Beth is a force of nature that seldom comes and goes, but is a dominant striking power whether it be with the LGBT community, positive body image campaigners, or indie scenesters. It may be over when the fat lady sings, but when the curvy lesbian sings, it’s only the beginning of a wide awakening for self-empowerment.

—Katrina Guevara

Download: War Tapes “Dreaming Of You”

(from The Continental Divide out now on Sarathan)

Not to be confused with the documentary film of the Iraqi war, War Tapes have fought their own battle through the backwoods of independent music ince 2004. The quartet is formed by Los Angeles natives Neil Popkin (vocals, guitar), Becca Popkin (bass, vocals), William Mohler (drums), and Matt Bennett (guitar). They’ve had their shot at fame when opening for musicians like the Bravery and the Smashing Pumpkins, and they’re now breaking into television placements. “Dreaming of You” is a serenade that could be anachronistically played in that new-wave version of Marie Antoinette. War Tapes tries riffs a la Franz Ferdinand and Moving Units in “The Night Unfolds,” while “She Lied” delivers lyrics surely inspired by heartbreak. “Mind is Ugly“ is like the off-focus, black-and-white music video—drumming and strumming that don’t casually fit anywhere else on the record. Besides their primary post hardcore style, War Tapes pull other influences from other eras—they have the sensibility of the Cure, pipes recalling Ian Curtis, and vibes from Morrissey. Overall, the LP is a goth-pop night crawler.

—Katrina Cayton Guevara