This was my first time attending The Social Aid and Pleasure Club. After showing my ID to the dude eating a monster burrito, I knew I was about to have a good time. The fireplace was lit. The blue crystals under the flames gave the illusion of some pretty powerful magic. People were already sitting around soaking up the warmth. A deep discussion about “Arnold Palmer” was taking place.

I was greeted with “Watuuuuups?!” and hugs galore, it was welcoming. Everyone was all smiles and ready for the night. Up in the DJ tower was DJ Bianca O’Blivion spinning mad beats from House to Dubstep and beyond.
The stage area was separate from the bar. I got my wrist band and immediately entered. The room was dark and adorned with purple lights and lasers! The sound system was loud and pulsing as Laco$te performed their newest singles from their recent EP The Paradox Of Time. X (lead singer) really cut loose, flipping and crab legging the crowd. Their set was intense and sounded ethereal as ever.

Essay

Essay played soon after and it got totally hot in there. Their electroclash beats and euro stylings got the crowd doing the jerk in no time. Renata’s (lead singer) vocals were sexy and always on pitch. DJ Peter was laying down some fat samples of his own name and the crowd was pumped.

Blok

Blok was the last to play and they knocked me out with their fashion, their sick vocal style, and their heavy engagement with the crowd. Zubaz, 90’s blouses, bleach, and raunchy flows, this group was amazing!

Blok

DJ Kyle Mabson ended the night attracting some locals with his heavy mixing skills. I can’t get over Austin Powers “Yeah Baby” samples played over Yolanda Be Cool’s “We No Speak Americano” on a loop! The night was fun and the music was bumpin’. I recommend catching any one of these acts.

Download: Sean Carnage’s Mondays mega-mix

We asked Sean Carnage—interviewed to mark his four years of D.I.Y. all-ages shows here—to make a mixtape that captures a bit of what he loves about music in L.A. Download and listen above and annotated tracklist by Sean below:

Realicide “Resisting The Viral Self”
Just a brief sample from Robert Inhuman, whose music on “Resisting the Viral Self”—despite it’s audiophonic brutality—is all too human and affecting.

Winners “Mega Dik”
Andrew, the singer of “Mega Dik,” was something of a Monday Night super fan for years. When he later started making music with Eva (aka Kevin Shields), I was pleasantly surprised. These two are up north now, and I’m crossing my fingers they continue with their joyfully confrontational band.

The Amazements “Tutti Frutti”
“Tutti Fruit” is a song off the Amazements’ new Peter’s Poolboys’ LP Sticky Rubies. They’re kinda like Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band wrestling U.S. Maple in a hot tub full of beer: avant garde and loose.

I.E. “You Think You’re Punk”
“You Think You’re Punk” could only have been written by Margot Padilla. Margot’s Totally Mag! magazine is a sick send-up of celebrity pop culture and perfectly compliments her music.

Mikki & the Mauses
Here’s a new band with a devastatingly catchy track. They’re playing my four year anniversary show on July 27th, and I’m really excited about that after all this time, there’s so many new bands to discover.

NASA Space Universe
NASA Space Universe apparently broke up recently, but I’m holding out hope for new music from these OC bros because, even a year after I got this track, I am still listening to it all the freaking time! Perfect for after work/school venting.

John Thill
Thill’s also moved up north, but he was just back for a Monday night appearance to remind us all what genius creations his acoustic jams are.

Foot Village “Crow Call (Anavan remix)”
The members of Foot Village and Anavan have been big Monday supporters, and if there was any justice in the world, this remix would be burning up dance floors around the planet

Kyle H. Mabson “Don’t Stop Believin”
“Don’t Stop Believin’” sums the Sean Carnage Mondays story very nicely I think. My Monday partner Kyle created this…I only included a short excerpt—if you are brave there’s a twenty minute version that will take the top of your head off. Enjoy!