L.A. RECORD » magic lantern

MAGIC LANTERN: “SHOWSTOPPER” 7”

Intern — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:07:58 +0000

shea m gauer

(From “Showstopper” 7” out now on Not Not Fun)

Oh, let the grooves burn, let the grooves burn. Long Beach’s Magic Lantern just released a 7” called “Showstopper“. Both sides are long and winding and fun to get lost in. The group plays in a sordid psych style delivered with plenty of bam-bam and woo-woo. They claim Can influences, but something else is going on—maybe a steady white man funk, akin to Motown’s Rare Earth. With sudsy breakdowns and distorted or phased vocal lines (similar to labelmates Vibes or Brooklyn-based Blank Dogs), this album is a delight on a hot summer night. Magic Lantern also just released a new album called Platoon to accompany this single and I highly suggest you pick it up if you’re into sweat-outs and bong rips.

—Brock Potucek

MAGIC LANTERN SELF-TITLED LP FINALLY REPRESSED!

lar_import — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:56:07 +0000

Download: Magic Lantern “At The Mountains Of Madness”

(from the self-titled LP out now on Woodsist!)

Get you this now! From Magic Cameron:

FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS:

In the run-up to the PLATOON release (it’s coming, peeps…at the plant), WOODSIST has repressed the LANTERN self-titled LP with new full-bleed artwork, extending the POWER of these VIBES. they are also selling the record digitally and including a bonus track to sweeten that deal…and outtake from the PLATOON sessions called BANYAN SHRINE.

ORDER VINYL HERE

BUY DIGITAL HERE

PEACE OUT

LOVE,
SUN ARAW

MP3: MAGIC LANTERN

lar_import — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:32:09 +0000

Download: Magic Lantern “Dark Cicadas” (Excerpt)

(from the upcoming Platoon LP out next month—with bonus 7″—on Not Not Fun!)

Shop: Sun Araw (Cameron from Magic Lanterns side project)

SUN ARAW RELEASES NEW 'IN ORBIT' CASSETTE

lar_import — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:50:48 +0000

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KplSAorI5Dk&feature=related]
sun araw live in paris by benoît lesieux

Download: Sun Araw “Heavy Deeds”

(from Heavy Deeds out now on Not Not Fun)

Update: We now have Sun Araw “In Orbit” in stock!! As far as we know these are the last ones available on planet earth! More info here.

L.A. RECORD are longtime fans of Magic Lantern—our Mae Moreno was the first earthly human to ever put them in print—and although Lantern is now fragmented between California and Oregon, Magic Lantern guitarist (and lately Pocahaunted member) Cameron Stallones’ Sun Araw is hitting some kind of wild stride. Latest release is this In Orbit cassette, released on Lantern percussionist/trumpeter/beyonder Phil French’s Stunned. Says Phil:

Sun Araw (feat. Matthew Lessner) — In Orbit c30 (Stunned no. 51)

Sun Araw’s Cameron Stallones & filmmaker Matthew Lessner are longtime Stunned brothers that go back with us before the music, the tours, the films, the label, you name it. As tireless globetrotters, both have spent the last year beaming their respective good messages far and wide to the delight of audio aficionados & visual art subversives alike. Marking a Second phase in all our geosynchronous friendships, ‘In Orbit’ finds these dudes collaborating on ascendant planes of high mind where outer Los Angeles and Inner Space bisect. Deep dubby howlin, Farfisa organ hang-gliding, gooey tempos, and trademark shimmering ‘Araw-guitar licks are the hybridized fruits harvested here. Along with your candy, flip this tape as needed. Happy to say, there’s no limit to the number of orbits it can (and will) make through your stereo and ours. Special edition of 222 pro-dubbed & imprinted c30s with jcard design by Cameron.

Visit Stunned here and don’t forget Sun Araw’s Heavy Deeds LP out now on Not Not Fun!

UPSET THE RHYTHM FEST w/LUCKY DRAGONS, NO AGE, GOWNS, FOOT VILLAGE + MORE AT THE SMELL IN JULY

lar_import — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:01:18 +0000

post-party

Upset the Rhythm is the independent London label that’s always taken good care of Los Angeles—they were one of the labels participating in that first burst of No Age vinyl in 2007 and also put out releases for L.A. bands like Soft Boiled Eggies and BARR and now Foot Village, who will be releasing their Anti-Magic on Upset The Rhythm this July. And they’re also helpful in other ways—right now they’re helping Sun Araw (Cameron from Magic Lantern) and Pocahaunted on their U.K. tour. Next month, L.A. will return the favor with a special Smell show gathering together Upset the Rhythm bands from coast to coast as one of three special U.S. shows. Full details from Foot Village’s Brian Miller below:

UPSET THE RHYTHM COMES TO THE US!
Upset the Rhythm is a London based record label / booking agency that specializes in introducing small, DIY, Smell-esque American bands to UK and EU audiences. Chris and Claire, who run the label, have been incredibly successful at cultivating a large and young audience for American bands in the UK. Often, they gather large audiences for bands that, in the US, would be happy to just see a dozen kids at a show! Despite being in the UK, they are one of the most enthusiastic patrons of US bands. They were the first to put out No Age on vinyl, book
large tours for bands at no profit to themselves, and have an incredible roster of bands that includes BARR, Lucky Dragons, Gowns, High Places, Former Ghosts, Death Sentence: PANDA!, KIT, Foot Village, and a ton more. Despite their importance to American bands, UTR is not very well known in the US.

Those of us in Foot Village were inspired to pay tribute to UTR in celebration of our first release on the label. So, this July, instead of just playing a typical record release show, we have organized a showcase of bands on Upset The Rhythm at the Smell. The response from the bands was so overwhelming that both a San Francisco and New York showcase have come together as well. Chris and Claire will be flying out for all of these.

PARTY NUMBER ONE: NEW YORK
Friday July 3rd @ MONSTER ISLAND BASEMENT
Ambergris
Lucky Dragons
Silk Flowers
Bird Names
Soft Circle
John Maus
Future Islands
Wet Hair (Shawn from Racoo-oo-oon)
128 River St @ Metropolitan Ave
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
L-Bedford, G-Metropolitan, JM-Marcy
8:30pm | all ages | $tba

PARTY NUMBER TWO: LOS ANGELES
Sat July 11th @ The Smell
Foot Village
Lucky Dragons
Gowns
Death Sentence: PANDA!
KIT
Softboiled Eggies
Former Ghosts
The Urxed (Rob from High Places)
No Age DJs
all ages / $8
247 S. Main St.
Los Angeles CA 90012
http://thesmell.org
http://www.last.fm/event/1041975

PARTY NUMBER THREE: SAN FRANCISCO
July 12th, Sunday, Club Sandwich presents Upset the Rhythm SF Showcase
@ The LAB
Foot Village
Gowns
Lucky Dragons
Death Sentence: Panda
TITS
KIT
The Urxed
Former Ghosts
2948 16th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
5 pm $8 all ages
http://thelab.org
http://clubsandwichbayarea.com

L.A. RECORD DJs TONIGHT!

lar_import — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:25:21 +0000

Dan Collins (who interviewed Polyamorous Affair here) will be DJing their show (also featuring Blue Jungle) tonight at the Echoplex and Chris Ziegler (who interviewed Magic Lantern and Imaad Wasif) will be DJing their show tonight at the Prospector. Will Roky Erickson records be present at both? Statistically likely. More info on both events here and here! And we’ll also be DJing at Sugar Salon on Sunday, May 17, as part of a fundraiser for AIDS Lifecycle—info here!

MAGIC LANTERN DEBUT LP OUT TOMORROW!

lar_import — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:24:09 +0000

Download: Magic Lantern “Feasting On Energy”

(from High Beams out tomorrow on Not Not Fun!)

Read our interview with Magic Lantern here!

Magic Lantern is one of our favorite bands—they played our Christmas party last year!—and their guitarist Cameron tells us that their long-awaited High Beams LP is finally out tomorrow on Not Not Fun! Go demand one because they will probably disappear instantly. Thanks to Cameron for the tip and Reid at InflightAtNight for the music and for the good news that their first CD-R (with the classic “Mountains of Madness” on it) is also set for vinyl release on Woodsist.

TUE., MAY 20: TODAY'S PICKS

lar_import — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:00:33 +0000

Clinic @ Troubadour
Douglas Armour @ Silverlake Lounge
Pocahaunted / Bobb Bruno / Magic Lantern / Dave Stone @ The Echo
M83 @ The Echoplex

MAGIC LANTERN @ THE PROSPECTOR

lar_import — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:00:58 +0000

Psych rock, when it’s done well, isn’t about a song but an experience. It turns you inward to a world of musical bliss and contemplation. That is, if it’s tolerable. And if you’re stoned. Magic Lantern, however, make sure that everyone is ready for the ride. Typically, this kind of music builds and builds, then builds some more without any payoff. It’s like really bad sex. These guys, however, know how to find the release button. Magic Lantern live is like riding in a car at night while the lights and houses and trees flash through your mind. And just when you think you’ve seen (and heard) enough, well, there’s more—the band makes sure you take that sonic trip with them. And on lucky nights, Bill Ross will be there to be your guide—adding moiré pattern visual effects and daring to put on Jodorowsky’s Holy Mountain, which would damn near upstage the show if it weren’t for the sublimely masterful skill of Magic Lantern.

— Chesney Higgins