LA Love: Avi Buffalo Music

Hello Hello! Consider this a last-minute reminder for the Castledoor/Parson Red Heads/Princeton partay tonight. The 3 bands are throwin' down at the Echoplex for Castledoor's record release Shouting At Mountains and the Parson Red Heads' new 7" release Orangufang. Tickets are $7 at the door. Don't miss this one.

Today we're talking about young folks. No, not those young folks. I'm talking about a group of high school kids out of Long Beach, CA (that's just a little bit south of LA, still eligible for LA Love!), whose average age is about 18, and they spend their nights playing indie rock shows instead of doing their math homework and studying for AP tests.

They're called Avi Buffalo Music, and they're cooler than you were when you were 17. Unless you're Zac Efron or something. (Disclaimer: GFP does not necessarily think Zac Efron is cool. But the rest of America seems to.) Lead singer/guitarist Avi shares vocal duties with keyboard player Rebecca Coleman, and wields his instrument as well as (or better than) some guys who are much older than him. I know people who are turned off by his singing, which is somewhere in between actual singing and a Frank Black howl, a high-pitched yelp over quiet fingerpicking and classic guitar riffs -- but I think it's just awesome. Avi and Rebecca are joined by Sheridan Riley on drums, Arin Fazio on bass, and a mysterious new guitar player whose identity they'll be unveiling next month. And they have songs with titles like "Summer Cum" and "Where's Your Dirty Mind"...but don't be fooled, these kids are wise beyond their years

You have 4 chances to see Avi Buffalo Music for FREE in May. They've scored a residency spot at the Echo (just upstairs from where you'll be seeing Castledoor tonight!), and the shows are all-ages, so there's no excuses. And hey - if they're not working, you don't have to either.

"Where's Your Dirty Mind"
"What's In It For"

LA Love: The Parson Red Heads

Hello hello!

This is the first of a few reminders to our LA readers that, come Tuesday, April 28th, your feet need to be firmly planted on the floor of the Echoplex. Why is that, you ask? Well, simply put -- it's gonna be one of the coolest local line-ups of the year, and you don't want to miss it. To promote this show, the next 2 installments of LA Love come as a package deal alongside last week's post about Princeton, who will be at the Echoplex on the 28th in support of The Parson Red Heads and Castledoor. It should be an exciting night, as it's the Parsons' 7" release party for Orangufang, and Castledoor's debut album release for Shouting At Mountains. More on Castledoor next week, but for now...

The Parson Red Heads are a 6-piece psych-pop band that I've often and rightfully described as angelic, awesome 60s music...being written in the 00s. It's like Crosby Stills & Nash meets Simon & Garfunkel, with a bit of the Byrds thrown in. They're not LA natives, having come down here from Portland a few years ago, but you'd never know it judging from the way they've been embraced by the locals. They wear all white clothing at their shows (angels, get it?), employ 5-part vocal harmonies, and are prone to long, psychedelic guitar jams. They also have a really enthusiastic tambourine player named Jason, who is fun to watch during the rare times when you're not totally entranced by the guitar work of Evan Way and Sam Fowles. Their recordings don't come close to conveying their super dynamic onstage presence, but that's all the more reason to check out their live set (April 28th!  The Echoplex!). But don't take my word for it -- Check out the 2 songs below and make your own decision...

Out to Sea [mp3]
Don't Hold Back [mp3]
(iTunes)

**Bonus Round: If I've converted you to Parson Red Heads fandom, check out The World Record -- a sort-of side project that features 4 of the Parsons along with singer Aaron Ballard.