The love fest between Los Angeles and San Francisco bands continues, with French Miami representing the Bay Area among a strong LA contingent. A great set by Kissing Cousins opened the show. They sound like The Breeders with black eyeliner—slightly poppier with flute and xylophone—and definitely edgier. The San Fran trio, French Miami, had to cut their organ bashing, finger-tapping set short due to a broken drum, but I was really there to see the two headliner bands representing L.A., Flying Tourbillon Orchestra and The Monolators.

Flying Tourbilion Orchestra opened their set with Eli Chartoff (Monolators) taking lead vocals for an abridged cover of Television’s “Marquee Moon” that segued into the intro for FTO Version 2.0. The band specializes in quirky yet precise indie pop songs featuring dual male/female vocals with an updated Tin Pan Alley feel to them. Sara Radle (Rentals, Calamity Magnet) made her FTO debut, replacing the departed Kelli Kofke on vocals alongside leader Hunter Curra. While the timing isn’t all the way there yet on the old Kofke songs, like FTO favorites “In A Dream” and “Don’t Be Fooled,” the new songs sound great and the band was hot with a positive energy and a nearly carnival atmosphere behind Ethan Scolzylas’ keys and Curra’s crazy between-song banter. They played what seemed to be a majority of newer songs, which was a wise choice, considering the regular Echo crowd was no doubt going to be comparing the new vocalist to the old. Radle has a more Texas pop feel as compared to Kofke’s Swedish pop style, and performs with a more physical manner than the former’s aloof presence. The chemistry seemed better on the new songs, and the Orchestra, who I’ve always felt have a high ceiling, have raised it even higher. They had fun at the end, closing with a pair of Elvis covers and THREE false endings—way to milk the applause! I find myself really looking forward to seeing this latest version of the band gel as a unit. Lock these guys and a gal in the rehearsal studio for a month or two and they have the makings for an awesome residency.

The Monolators are America’s greatest midnight band, who always make it worth staying up all night. I look forward to their closing sets, because they play straight up, balls out garage-punk-pop better than anyone on the eastside OR the westside. I realized going into their set that there was a sixty-percent chance that my badly stubbed toe would be broken (it was) by the end of the night, with an even greater likelihood that one of the Monolators would destroy some equipment (they did). It’s a real shame that they can’t clone the Monolators seven or eight times so they can close every show (at least in the eastside clubs) every night of the week. I was psyched that they broke out “You Look Good On A Train,” which is one of my favorite songs that I hadn’t heard in a while, and when they closed with “This Is Goodbye,” I thought my pinky toe was going to explode. I may have to avoid this band again until I’m fully healed.

—Scott Schultz