www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r6amYnItng

Last month, Tom Tom Magazine celebrated its 5th issue with a release party at the Alexandria Hotel in Los Angeles. See photos from the party, here.

Tom Tom Magazine, for those who don’t know, is dedicated to female drummers and beat makers, which is very cool. Since it’s based in New York, founder Mindy Abovitz enlisted Swahili Blonde’s Nicole Turley to give them the lowdown on L.A. women who beat things well, so issue #5 featured Tearist’s Yasmine Kittles, Voices Voices’ Nico Turner & Janean Farris, Danielle Devincenzo of Jeffertitti’s Nile, Laena Myers-Ionita of Swahili Blonde, The Like, & Dante Vs Zombies, Rainbow Arabia’s Tiffany Preston, Cheryl Caddick of Silver Phial, Erica Garcia, formerly of Fool’s Gold, and Amanda Jo Williams.

Amanda Jo Williams, Swahili Blonde, and Crooked Cowboy & The Freshwater Indians played the release party in town. And though technically Crooked Cowboy doesn’t have female percussionists, he has those amazing singers that take “ooh ooh ooh” to a whole ‘nother level. Incredible. I guess that’s vocal percussion—Michael Jackson might say so. He’s the king of that. Anyway, today, a video of Amanda Jo Williams performing “Sunlight” at the party  appeared on a literary magazine’s website. Perhaps it was Tarpaulin Sky Press’s way of celebrating St. Paddy’s? We agree that “Sunlight” is a great song, uplifting, starting at the toes, and reaching up, up, up, until our fingertips sway high above our heads like blades of grass at dawn. And it only takes a minute or so.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q--ynA-Klpc

But it just so happens that Williams helped us celebrate St. Paddy’s on last year’s mixtape, and she did a fine job of that as well. Here is a drinking song by Amanda Jo Williams, “All Is Love In Oral Things We Do.”

MP3: Amanda Jo Williams “All Is Love In Oral Things We Do”

Amanda Jo Williams has got an album coming out at the end of April, called Mary’s Big Feet, on a new local label called Nocturnal Sol. It features many of her great home recordings, including some guest appearances by her son, Jack, who turned 4 years old today! Gosh, we’ve got a lot of celebrating going on! You’ll hear Jack on the song “Blue Toy Airplane,” which you can check out in advance because it kicks in at 1:54 during one of Amanda’s playdate videos, Playdate World Cup DNA Activation.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqBKXLlMsJg

Last but not least, we’re excited to co-present AJW’s Monday night residency at the Echo all April. Have a nice day.

TAME IMPALA AND RAINBOW ON TUESDAY DEC. 14TH AT THE ECHOPLEX, 1154 GLENDALE BOULEVARD, LOS ANGELES. 8:30PM/ $15/ 18+.

Opening for Ebb on this tour is Houston based Tense. Though relatively new carriers of the Industrial Music torch, Tense delivered a performance that was as true to its EBM roots as it was fresh and exciting. Frontman Robert Lane spewed poetic instructions from his virile vocal chords and intoxicating synthesized undulations.  Mariana Saldana (whose role in the group is described via their myspace page as “live drums, inspiration…”) released an equally passionate barrage of heart crushing sounds from her electronic kit and supporting vocals.

A hearty and respectful round of applause is also due to the night’s opening act, Rainbow Arabia. Though seemingly out of place with their zouk zombie rhythm infused disco psychedelic electronica pop…(oh forget it, their sound is too complex to confine), the duo blessed the venue with palette cleansing incantations and put on a hell of a show for those who came early enough to witness.

Bravo to the night.

—Santiago Vernetti

Sometimes lineups are not at all straightforward. Such was the case with the triple bill of Rainbow Arabia, Wallpaper, and Fools Gold. Married locals Danny and Tiffany Preston of Rainbow Arabia started the evening with their earnest and synth-heavy world music. Their strangely beautiful music was so reminiscent of a paired-down Viva K that I simultaneously desired the catalog of the former and wondered nostalgically into the whereabouts of the latter. The duo that is Wallpaper were up next, bringing a coterie of really excited followers who pretty much lost their mind as soon as the drummer kicked out the jams. By the time Eric Frederic had taken off his tie, I realized I was no longer in L.A., having been magically transported to the fictitious world of Prince’s Purple Rain, with Wallpaper standing in for Morris Day and The Time. Or Was (Not Was)’ heir apparent? In any event, Fool’s Gold’s was able to continue the liveliness of the show, bringing what we’ve come to expect from their eclectic jam band melodies. I only wonder if they know their fan base forms a tiny circle before they take the stage, bowing their head and asking to be a “spiritual conduit” to the music. I didn’t notice any purple Kool-Aid on site, but one can never be too sure. Photos by Melissa Moore.

Fool’s Gold

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Rainbow Arabia

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Wallpaper

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Monday Night #3 of Rainbow Arabia’s residency just got a little sweeter.

LINEUP:

9pm – Demo Team
10pm – Aska
11pm – Rainbow Arabia
12am – Abe Vigoda
Dj sets by Oro11 // Butchy Fuego // Righteous Trash

Tonight, June 21, at the Echo, Free