Miami Horror @ The El Rey

2011 was the year of Australia for me.  I traveled to Oz for the first time in February and was already pretty obsessed with any music coming out of that country (Cut Copy’s Zonoscope, Bag Raiders, Flight Facilities).  That was also the year I last saw Miami Horror live at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa.   I Look To You was my summertime anthem, and then Tim Fuchs dropped this remix shortly thereafter.  I’ve seen Miami Horror a couple other times for DJ sets but those can’t compare to their live shows.

I caught them Wednesday night in support of their new album, All Possible Futures, and it was the biggest dance party. They were filming a video because they had professional cameramen everywhere and their performance was entertaining and genuine; a few stage dives, standing on the drum platform, having the entire crowd get low to the ground before erupting into a jumping mess.  They’ve come a long way since I saw them at Detroit Bar, and I highly recommend seeing them live if you ever have a chance.

Setlist:

  1. American Dream
  2. I Look To You
  3. Real Slow
  4. Moon Theory
  5. Cellophane (So Cruel) ft. Gavin Turek special guest
  6. Love Like Mine/ Strand Bar (Todd Terje cover)
  7. Out of Sight
  8. Wild Motion (Set it Free)
  9. Echoplex
  10. Summersun
  11. Who Is Gonna Save Us?
  12. Sometimes
  13. Holiday
  14. Forever ever?

Foals @ The Wiltern

The last time I was in the presence of Foals was at Coachella 2013, and I didn’t even get to see them because I couldn’t get past the hordes of people overflowing from the Gobi tent.

This time I went early to grab a good spot and caught the opener, Son Little.  After doing a little research, turns out the guy had a collaboration album with RJD2 & has worked with The Roots.  He’s bluesy and soulful with a bit of reggae mixed in and I was super impressed with his voice.

Foals were everything I wanted them to be.  They were filthy, high energy, sounded incredible, and had really sick lighting.  The lead singer leapt from the stage into the crowd a couple times with his guitar and during Two Steps, Twice, came up to the balcony level where I gave him a hi five.

Foals set list as follows:

  1. Snake Oil
  2. Olympic Airways
  3. My Number
  4. Blue Blood
  5. Mountain at my Gates
  6. Providence
  7. Spanish Sahara
  8. Red Rock Pugie
  9. Late Night
  10. Inhaler

Encore

  1. London Thunder
  2. What Went Down
  3. Two Steps, Twice

 

Moon Taxi @ The Troubadour


I wanted to go to a show on Wednesday night and bought tickets on a whim to see these guys with no prior knowledge of their music. I figured that I’d never seen a bad show at the Troubadour, and tickets were only $15, so why not.

This show was hands down the best surprise of the year. Moon Taxi was incredibly fun to watch and the lead singer has an amazing voice. They’re an incredibly talented group of guys, as evidenced by their individual drum, guitar, and keyboard solos. I highly recommend seeing them if you ever get a chance.

After watching their show I looked them up on Spotify and I have to admit their albums fall short for me. Their live performance is SO MUCH BETTER.

Thunderbitch – My Baby Is My Guitar


Do you ever come across new music or artists that you just can’t fully get behind until you’re in a specific mood? That’s exactly what happened when Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes fame dropped a surprise album by her side project, Thunderbitch, last month.  Maybe it’s the changing of the seasons, or maybe I overdosed on too much vitamin D(isco), but I’m really digging the gritty rock n roll vibes now.