2010 Progress Report: Avi Buffalo record release

For the past year or so I've given a good deal of love to LA's (well, technically Long Beach's) favorite youngsters, quirky pop quartet Avi Buffalo. So I was way excited when they got signed to SubPop and finally recorded a solid album's worth of songs.

I remember seeing them at the Echo in July 2009 and being floored at how much they'd improved from just a few months previous. I took a friend from out of town to that show and was a little concerned about how she'd enjoy it, but once they took the stage I knew that was obviously not going to be an issue. They were so poised and awesome, and as I darted back and forth trying to get some good shots in I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

The long-awaited Avi Buffalo dropped this week and it's grown on me to the point where I'll have "Summer Cum" or "Remember Last Time" stuck in my head after the morning commute, and then it'll play on KCRW in my boss's office and I can't escape it (nor do I want to, though). These are songs that sit on the front porch with you with a glass of lemonade or a beer in the afternoon; late spring/early summer was the perfect time for this album to come out. They're unassuming and a little sweet, but intricate when you listen for all the details -- especially the words. When I first heard the opening lines to "Where's Your Dirty Mind" I knew this was a band to take seriously. And then in the chorus they were talking about wanting to die, and not wanting to die, but not in the really-bad-poetry way you'd expect from high schoolers. But I may've found a new favorite line in the ballad/borderline classic rock tune "Jessica": "I can't tell when something's real/nobody tells me how they feel/it's always right beneath my nose/and if that's just the way it goes/someone won't be there when you fall."

Avi's plaintive falsetto brings the charm and quirk quotient, and vocalist/keyboardist Rebecca Coleman steps to the forefront for the first time in "one last," a folky ditty that takes the band out of their comfort zone. other highlights include the whimsical "Summer Cum,'' (probably the best example of the lemonade-on-the-porch-in-summer aesthetic) and my absolute old favorite "What's In It For."

I love that there's no lead/rhythm guitar dynamic, and that Avi never just strums his way through a song. Almost everything he plays is a lead line to complement the vocals, and Coleman, bassist Arin Fazio and drummer Sheridan Riley round out the tunes without ever stepping on each other's parts. Check out the end of "Remember Last Time" to hear a band that knows how to work together, not to mention write a killer outro.



I'm going to insist you head to the not yet sold out album release party at the Troubadour this Saturday if you're in Los Angeles. It's a great venue, and this event is a long time coming! (if you couldn't already tell by now) I'm sure there'll be lots of locals who are stoked on this band's big day. Not to mention all 4 are just super sweet people who've paid their dues and deserve every bit of what's coming their way -- which actually includes some European tour dates in May and then summer dates with Modest Mouse and Blitzen Trapper.

Though this won't be the last you hear from me on Avi Buffalo, for now I leave you with a couple tunes from the new album:

"Remember Last Time"
"What's In It For"


Avi Buffalo on the road:

May 01 Troubadour, Hollywood, CA (record release show)
May 30 Sasquatch! Festival, Gorge, WA
Jul 01 Royal Oak Theater (MI), Royal Oak, MI *
Jul 02 Royal Oak Theater (MI), Royal Oak, MI *
Jul 03 Summerfest (WI), Milwaukee, WI *
Jul 06 Crossroads, Kansas City, MO *
Jul 08 Twlight Concert Series, Salt Lake City, UT *
Jul 23 Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR $
Jul 27 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN $
Jul 28 Turner Hall, Milwaukee, WI $
Jul 30 Pier 17 / South Street Seaport (NY), New York, NY ^
Aug 04 Majestic Theater (MI), Detroit, MI $
Aug 05 Vogue, The, Indianapolis, IN $
Sep 04 All Tomorrows Parties - NY, Monticello, NY

* w/ Modest Mouse
$ w/ Blitzen Trapper
^ w/ Neon Indian

Avi Buffalo Spring tour dates!

I've been rooting for these guys and gals for awhile now, and it looks like they're finally getting their due. They just signed to SubPop and are going to celebrate the release of the self-titled Avi Buffalo at the Troubadour in LA on May 1st, but there are plenty of other ways to catch them before then (including at SXSW!):

AVI BUFFALO Spring 2010 Tour Dates

with Rogue Wave
03/02/10 Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
03/03/10 Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
03/04/10 First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA
03/05/10 Nightclub 9:30, Washington, D.C.
03/06/10 Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC
03/08/10 The Loft, Atlanta, GA
03/09/10 Mercy Lounge, Nashville, TN
03/10/10 Bottletree, Birmingham, AL
03/12/10 Harvest of Hope, Elkton, FL
03/13/10 The Social, Orlando, FL
03/15/10 One Eyed Jacks, New Orleans, LA
03/16/10 Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
03/17/10 The Loft, Dallas, TX

SXSW 2010
03/18/10 Austin, TX
03/19/10 Austin, TX
03/20/10 Austin, TX

with Japandroids
04/06/10 Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH
04/07/10 High Dive, Champaign, IL
04/08/10 Radio Radio, Indianapolis, IN
04/09/10 Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL
04/10/10 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN
04/12/10 Mojo’s, Columbia, MO
04/13/10 Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS
04/15/10 Beauty Bar, Las Vegas, NV
04/19/10 Trunk Space, Phoenix, AZ
04/21/10 Casbah, San Diego, CA
04/23/10 Independent, San Francisco, CA
05/01/10 Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA (RECORD RELEASE SHOW)

Artists to Watch in 2010

For the last of our lists this year, we have artists that have shown promise and/or generated buzz, and that we're expecting to see interesting things from in the year to come. So, just in time for the New Year, we present you with "Artists to Watch in 2010":


Ellie Goulding
21-year-old Ellie Goulding has already been chosen as one of the 15 best rising music stars on BBC's Sound of 2010 list. She's been generating tons of buzz over the last few months, and with an electro-pop sugary sound, musicians like Little Boots and Marina and the Diamonds (more about her below) are often mentioned alongside her. Her first single "Under the Sheets" was released a couple of months ago and her debut set to release in March, so, like we've said before, expect this one to hit big.

Under the Sheets [mp3] - (no online purchase available in US)

Marina and the Diamonds

"I Am Not A Robot" was one of Lise's tracks-on-repeat this last summer, and like Ellie above, Marina and the Diamonds have also made BBC's Sound of 2010 list. People love her for her don't-care-what-others-think attitude and robust, thickly vibrato-ridden voice, but Lise is still waiting to be impressed with a live performance, although perhaps that will change in this upcoming year. Until then, you should at least check her out if you are unfamiliar, cause there is no doubt you will be hearing more about her in 2010.

I Am Not A Robot [mp3] - (no online purchase available)

Heathers
This Irish twin girl duo, named after the infamous '80s movie starring Winona Ryder, is kind of like Tegan & Sara 2.0, but more folky perhaps. They're how I imagine Tegan and Sara were when they were just starting out - talented and adorable, keeping things simple but lovely, with rocking acoustic guitar and awesome vocal harmonies. It sounds like things are starting to pick up for them in Ireland and we're hoping that they'll pick up for them here in the US too, so that they'll come back stateside for a tour again soon.

Veronica [mp3] - (iTunes)

Drink Up Buttercup

Em first saw Drink Up Buttercup by chance back in May, instantly loving them, and has watched their audience grow and expand at shows in NYC in August and November. They are worth seeing again and again live because they have such great energy as they bang and plang and clang on everything from your typical keyboards and guitars to the less typical garbage can tops, tool boxes and plastic maracas. Their EP is superb and hopefully we can expect a full-length album from them in 2010.
Sosey Dosey [mp3] - (iTunes)

Pattern is Movement
Much to our surprise, these two lumberjack-looking guys make the most elaborate, fanciful, delightful and downright bizarre music we've possibly ever heard. It certainly wasn't what Em was expecting when they opened for St. Vincent earlier this year, but they ended up blowing her away and we can't wait to hear more from the Philadelphia duo.

Jenny Ono [mp3] - (iTunes)

Local Natives

One of LA's top indie acts that are ready to break out in a big way, all 4-part harmonies and pounding toms. They're already popular overseas, having toured the UK and Europe in 2009, and they've just been signed to NY label Frenchkiss Records (home of The Antlers, Passion Pit, The Dodos, etc.) They played a soldout show at the Echo the other night - their last US show until the domestic release of Gorilla Manor (February 5) - and any Angelenos who made it out will be lucky enough to say they were there first.

Camera Talk [mp3] - (Amazon)

Marching Band
Unlike a lot of the Scandinavian music we receive here at GFP, this isn't dark, experimental, or haunting. Marching Band's music is for the most part poppy, pretty and highly enjoyable. It will definitely leave your head bopping and your toe tapping, and since a lot of amazing stuff is coming out of Scandinavia right now, I think we can expect to see them fair well here in the US.

Gorgeous Behavior [mp3] - (iTunes)

Avi Buffalo

One of our writers, Diana, has been into Avi Buffalo for a little over a year now and we can't wait to see what SubPop does for them in 2010. Seeing Avi play his Fender Jaguar will make you envious that you're not 19 years old, winning folks over with a high falsetto and lines like, "you are tiny and your lips are like little pieces of bacon."
What's In It For? [mp3] - (iTunes)

Fredrik
Their album Na Na Ni was on our Best Albums of 2008, and their album Trilogi was supposed to come out this year, but has been pushed back to January of 2010. So keep your eye out for that. The one track they've released from it is even more haunting, dark and stunning than the highly experimental Na Na Ni, and we've heard that the rest of Trilogi is supposed to follow suit.

Trilogi [mp3] - (iTunes)

Castledoor

We still don't know why this band isn't signed. Their debut Shouting At Mountains was quite solid, and the 3 shows Diana attended of their June residency at Spaceland were easily the best shows she's seen this whole year. Nate Cole has all the charisma a frontman needs and more, and the songs are just an awesome mix of blues, rock, and pop. They've been going strong in the LA scene for a couple years now, so we have my fingers crossed that 2010 will be their year.
Skipping Stepping Stones [mp3] - (iTunes)

tUnE-YaRdS
tUnE-YaRdS, aka Merrill Garbus is incredibly intriguing to say the least. Her unique rhythms, complicated music and full voice make for an interesting listen. However, her debut album, Bird Brains, was made very much DIY-style, and while she certainly does quite well with very little, we would love to hear what she can do with some real production value behind her. Hopefully we will get the chance considering how much buzz she has gotten this year.

News [mp3] - (iTunes)

Surfer Blood

Their debut album Astro Coast is dropping January 2010, and having listened to a couple of the tracks, we wager that it'll probably take a few months for news to properly circulate about this band. Surfer Blood has somehow managed to encompass that guilty pleasure of 90's pop-rock sound of Weezer and Keane and structure it into a sophisticated-yet-carefree indie rock throwback with added fuzzy flair for the upcoming decade.
Floating Vibes [mp3] - (iTunes)

Gamble House
One of Diana's bandmates introduced her to Gamble House a couple months ago, and she recommends them to anyone who is a fan of pre-Veckatimest Grizzly Bear. This year they self-released an album of low-key indie/folk-ish music that goes beyond the standard vocals/guitar M.O., incorporating banjo, bells, keyboards and other little flourishes that reflect the band's jazz background. Definitely worth checking out.

Central Park [mp3] - (no online purchase available)

Phantogram

For a duo that has yet to come out with a full-length album, Phantogram sure has a pretty big following. A bit reminiscent of Blonde Redhead, their electro-dance-rock certainly will get you moving. They're great live and we look forward to hearing what they come out with in the future.
When I'm Small [mp3] - (iTunes)


Ravens & Chimes
So they were on our list of Artists to Watch for 2009 last year, but unfortunately they didn't end up coming out with any new stuff this past year. However, it is confirmed that they will be coming out with an album in 2010, so we are putting them on the list again because we love them that much. Hopefully, after going through some major member changes this year (only two of the people in this picture are still in the band but we can't find any more recent ones...), next year will be a successful one for them. Here's one of the songs off their upcoming 2010 album.

Hearts of Palm [mp3] - (iTunes)