Last Sunday, a packed house turned out at the Troubadour in West Hollywood as Los Angeles native Say Anything closed out their United States tour to promote their new, self-titled album. It was a special night with lead singer Max Bemis reminiscing on past memories at the hallowed venue as well as celebrating the success of the tour with Eisley, whose guitarist and singer became Sherri Dupree-Bemis this past April.

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Firstly, let me break this down in Good ‘ole English… The video you are about to watch is [Expletive] crazy! The Scan Processor Studies are a collection of work by Woody Vasulka & Brian O’Reilly. The full body work is about 45 minutes in length. After a number of nights together observing images, sounds, and visuals they figured out what they all enjoyed. The video was made of Vasulka’s original experiments with a 70s scan processor. Check out the sounds and visuals. This would be some dope stuff to sample, righttt?

Click here to see the video.

Dia De Los Muertos. The House of Blues on Sunset. Psychobilly. Sounds like a terrifyingly good show right?

To start off, Psychobilly is a genre of music that mixes Rockabilly (rock/swing) with punk. The instrumentation includes Double Bass, (which is slapped) Guitar, and Drums. They sing about monsters and taboo subjects like sex, drugs, and violence. Bam. Psychobilly in three sentences. Back to the show…

We arrived late, and ended up listening to a few songs by the opening band, “Fangs on Fur.” They weren’t psychobilly, but more pop punk. Basically, for an opening act they weren’t half bad. Next up, the Guana Batz. Probably known as one of the original psychobilly bands, they have been around for twenty- seven years releasing 9 albums, (4 of which reached top ten positions of the UK charts.) Pip Hancox, the front man, absolutely stole the show. He was cheeky and fun, commenting that the mosh pit was wimpy, flirting with the girls in the front row, and making fun his own age. Their bassist absolutely wailed, spinning the bass and competing with the drummer.(He played a lefty bass…very rare) The Guana Batz played through some of their hits like “I’m on fire” but also performed a few covers including “Johnny Be Good.”  The audience was captivated and excited to see this iconic band, and their performance alone made the show a hit.

The HorrorPops came out in style. They had their faces painted in honor of Dia de los muertos, and had a get up to match.

They jumped into the set, kicking the show off with a favorite from their first album, “Julia”. They continued the show, altering between fan favorites (Walk Like a Zombie) from their earlier albums to a few new tracks (Thelma and Louise) from their latest album Kiss Kiss Kill Kill.

Front-woman Patricia Day is the shit. How many girls do you know who can play their tattooed upright bass in heels? Her sultry stage presence and bewitching vocals accompany the old school riffs and anthems perfectly.

The HorrorPops know how to put on a show. They had amazing visuals, fantastic stage presence, and are great musicians. They connected with the audience, and made me a little less bitter about the fee from ticketmaster.

The show/music was fantastic. The venue… not so much. There wasn’t anything technically wrong with it. The sound was fine, and the crowd wasn’t too wild. However, the milieu in the house of blues is contrite and corporate feeling. In-between sets, a screen came down over the stage and a projector advertised upcoming shows. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the psychobilly culture, if you are at a HorrorPops show, you are probably not going to attend a Kaysee and the Sunshine Band concert. There is nothing special or interesting about the venue. There are no distinguishing characteristics, and nothing memorable that could possibly augment the performance. True, it didn’t take away or hurt the music itself, but the overall feel in the House of Blues is a resounding “blah”.

P.S.- Kim Nekroman(the guitarist) can steal your soul just by looking at you. It’s a fact.Beware.

DJ Double J (Jessica Jones)
Wild Mountain Nation Wed. 2-4

Today is Thanksgiving and as most of us prepare to welcome (mostly unwelcome) relatives, indulge in gluttony, add 50 pounds in body mass in one meal, listen to Uncle Jim’s “those-were-the-days-if-only-I-had-done-it-this-way-instead-of-marrying-your-aunt” stories, wondering if Grandpa is asleep or dead while watching the Cowboys play dismally against the Raiders, enjoying in the glutonous joy of the day, and preparing for being trampled by mobs of angry housewives on Black Friday, we here at UCLAradio.com think it’s important to take some time to think about what you’re thankful for.  In this edition of Lakers Recap, let’s look back at the Lakers season and think about what we’re thankful for.

First off, I’m thankful for Ron Artest.  Despite his slow start to the season, Artest is slowly becoming comfortable with the Laker system and as the season goes on, and he becomes more comfortable, he adds a physical and tough attitude to a Laker team that has been dubbed “finess” and “soft” in the last couple years.

I’m thankful for a healthy Andrew Bynum.  If he can keep mentally stable, he’s got my vote for best center in the West.

I’m thankful for Pau Gasol coming back.  It might be Kobe’s team, but having Pau in the lineup makes the Lakers the favorite in every game.

And last, but not least, I’m thankful for the Lakers’ end of November and December schedule, which – if they don’t take games off – can turn into a 17-21 game winning streak (depending on how well they play against Cleveland on Christmas).

The Lakers get Thanksgiving off and are back at Staples to play the Warriors on Saturday.  The Warriors are coming off a win against the Mavs in which they played without coach Don Nelson and with only 6 players.  Take note friends, that’s the kind of depth that wins you championships.

$12,000 a year. $48,000 for 4 years. That’s how much our tuition alone will cost come next fall quarter. And all because 17 out of the 18 UC Regents who represent the UC system decided to have a mid-year 32% tuition hike and place the burden on the backs of struggling students. Let’s look at some of the facts.

UC Regent President Yudof gets paid a little less than $900,000 a year. Most of the people who are UC Regents are wealthy businesspeople, generally CEOs or COOs of large multimillion companies. They know how to do business, and thus run institutions like the UC system as such.

But the UC system is not a business. It is a community, it is a learning center, a place where students and faculty are supposed to be able to interact, learn, and create. After all, the UCs are some of the leading reserach institutions in the country.

This past week, the UC Regents met at Covel Commons at UCLA for their bi-monthly meeting in order to vote on the proposed 32% tuition hikes. On Wednesday, about 300 UCLA students came together to demonstrate their opposition to the proposed mid year hikes. Students, faculty, and union workers were allotted 40 minutes for public comment, which is the time audience members inside the Regents meeting can use to express their concerns or opinions. During this time, student after union worker after professor after student came up to the microphone to plead with the Regents and challenge them to find another way to deal with the UC budget deficit. Tears were shed, testimonies were given, and many of the Regents hardly looked up at the faces who were reaching out to them.

By the end of the meeting, 14 students were arrested and 3 students were tasered by police. On Thursday, the Regents decided to increase our fees and place the financial burden on us- the students. They decided that the students will have to pay more tuition for a worsening education. This is something that will affect each and every one of us as part of the UC system. Even if you have the money to pay for these tuition hikes, think about the legacy of the UC that you are leaving behind. Think about the future image of the UC- the lack of diversity, lack of experiences, lack of engaging and interesting professors who actually care about our education. Think about all of the elementary, middle school, and high school students who will not even consider going to a UC Univeristy because it is no longer affordable nor accessible. Please think about this, because our UC Regents have obviously not.

Peaceful Protest at Regents Meeting 11/18, 11/19

Check out this video with real footage from the protests last week:

UC Regents Meeting Protest

Wait. Wait. Wait. Stop the Lakerwagon. I think some people want to get off.

After two bad losses to two good teams, all of a sudden the Lakers were, as many “fans” put it, in trouble.  It’s still November, Pau’s out, Artest is still trying to learn the system, Odom is off in Candyland and D-Fish is showing some aging.  Oh, and Kobe is playing with a groin injury.

But all excuses aside, is this really surprising?  The Lakers have always had an arrogance about them, showing up to play when it matters, or after they get hammered by an opponent, or lose two straight, and they are notorious for taking nights off and blowing big leads.  Contrary to whatever Andrew Bynum says, the Lakers don’t have the focus or the attitude to beat 72-10.

And if you want proof of the above, just look at what the Lakers did to Detroit and the Bulls in their last two games: demolished them.  I said at the start of the season that there’s no point in watching the Lakers this season; just tune in during the Western Conference Finals. I still don’t see any team in the West beating the Lakers, although the Nuggets can clearly hang with them (despite their loss to the Clippers last night).

In other news: PAU’S BACK! The Lakers take on the Thunder tomorrow night at Staples. Looking forward to a good game…remember Durant took the Lake Show to OT in their last meeting.

–DJ Unibomber
ZOMGradio, Wednesdays 12-2 PM

Since the release of their magnum opus Jane Doe back in 2001, Converge have crafted a singular metalcore sound that is frightening, ferocious, and intense.  A formula they have experimented with and improved upon on follow-ups, You Fail Me and No Heroes.  Throughout the course of the decade, they have added sludgy, abstract metal and hardcore to the mix, while never succumbing to the watered down prog excess many of their peers have.  Axe to Fall is perhaps their most powerful work since Jane Doe, and a fitting way to cap of an amazing run of four essential albums within the course of eight years.

Although they have always been a technically adept band, Converge have kept their sound down to earth.  Their work still sounds like music made by real human beings.  Ironically, the album begins with one of the most progressive riffs guitar mastermind Kurt Ballou has laid to record on “Dark Horse.”  The band never fails to lose track of the plot though, sounding just as visceral as ever.  Ben Koller’s drumming has always been complex and inventive, yet has never sounded better than it does here such as on tracks like “Effigy”, which is a barrel storm of percussion.  They might be a hardcore punk band at heart that plays “loud and fast”, but Converge have become adept at writing slower, doom laden songs.  This is showcased on “Worms Will Feed/Rats Will Feast”, where Jacob Bannon distinct scream sounds like nails on a chalkboard.  For his worth, Bannon’s vocals may be incomprehensible shrieking (which is a shame since he can pen some beautiful lyrics at time), but only enhance the sonic terror the rest of the band is unleashing.   For the first time in their career, the band has enlisted the help of guest musicians to aid in the album.  Steve Von Till from Neurosis turns “Cruel Bloom” into a Tom Waits murder ballad, creating what is the most oddball track in their discography.  The only place where the album falters is on last track, “Wretched World.”  Converge have the tendency to place one extended epic track on each of their last three albums (with pretty good success) and “Wretched World” is this record’s.  Despite guest vocals from Genghis Tron’s Mookie Singerman, the track goes on boringly for seven minutes, never building to the cathartic finale it seems to promise.  Axe to Fall proves that after being a band for nineteen years, Converge are still at the top of their game, continuing to incorporate new elements and hone a sound that is all theirs.

Talk about stroking an ego: Vampire Weekend had a completely sold out show on a Tuesday night in a brewery in downtown San Luis Obispo last Tuesday night. The tiny venue was packed, with people jumping around to catchy indie pop-rock for almost 2 straight hours. Here’s one of the new songs titled White Sky they played in SLO. Formed at Columbia University, Vampire Weekend became a sensation practically overnight, and their stage presence definitely showed it. The band didn’t waste time talking in between songs, and the atmosphere was alive and excited the entire time. The show was fast paced, only accelerated by the music, especially the new songs from Contra due to release in January. Since their self titled album is relatively short, they played a lot of songs off of Contra, including the single Horchata, which you can download for free from their website here. Their new music seems more rock-ish and also more experimental. A couple of their new songs use voice changers and more synthetic sounds. After their encore and last song (Walcott), they announced that they will probably go on tour again after the release of their album January 12^th.

Wes Anderson has done it again, ladies and gentlemen – made a movie that all the fans may be quoting for ages.  But is that a bad thing?  Not necessarily.  Fantastic Mr. Fox turns out to be just as the name implies – fantastic.

Based off of the story by Roald Dahl, Fantastic Mr. Fox tells the tale of a fox who, after stealing from farmers in hopes of making conditions better for his family, places himself and his friends in a cumbersome situation.  Wes Anderson brings the story to life in his first animated film, with the same typical Wes Anderson cast – Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, and Bill Murray – plus George Clooney and Meryl Streep as Mr. and Mrs. Fox.

Anderson, almost effortlessly, seems to adapt the animated film style to match his own.  The film is marked with Wes Anderson’s style from the beginning with plain, yellow captions to narrate certain parts of the film.  The characters are exactly what Anderson’s characters are marked for, but instead of seeing Jason Schwartzman as his nonchalant human self, his voice takes the form of a nonchalant, angry fox (Ash, Mr. Fox’s son).  At some point of the movie I remember turning to a friend of mine and saying, “That is Schwartzman.  These characters can act out the movie as humans and I’d still get it.”  Wes Anderson proves to know his cast well.

Overall, the movie is excellent.  I’d say that this one is worthy to go on the DVD shelf along with Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Bottle Rocket.  Wes Anderson fans, I think you’ll enjoy it.  Roald Dahl fans, you’ll enjoy it.  Regular movie goers, you’ll enjoy it.  Wes Anderson revisits a childhood story of ’sticking it to the man’ and delivers it to all of the audience.

-Aria, Intern
ZOMG Radio, Wednesdays 12-2PM

Last weekend, the Feminist Majority Foundation hosted the “Western Regional Feminist Campus Leadership Conference” at Santa Monica College. Say that five times fast while burning your bra! I attended the conference, which focused on campaigns for affordable birth control, workshops on understanding the Health Care Reform bill (which was passed later on that weekend), and exposing fake clinics that target college students. Fake clinics are defined as establishments that advertise as “Crisis Pregnancy Centers”, but do not necessarily offer or practice any medical procedures that a patient may want. Often times, these centers serve as a front for pro-life activists, which can be misleading for young people who need information on all of their options. Hence, the term fake clinic was created to distinguish the difference between objective medical facilities and special interest resource centers. The conference went into great detail about the rise of fake clinics throughout the United States, especially in close proximity to college campuses. Since UCLA is located in the cozy college town of Westwood, this bit of knowledge seemed relevant enough to spread. Bruins, The Ramones said it best,”Know Your Rights!”

And ending on a musical note:

As an intern for the awesome two hours that is “All Souled Out” , DJ Donut let me play some records last week and the feminist in me was inspired with the themed set “Ladies Night”. Gloria Gaynor, Donna Summers, Queen Latifah, and Lauryn Hill were there, and if you were not, you missed out you sexist pig!

I kid. Happy Friday!

“All Souled Out” Fridays 6pm-8pm

-DJ Sephie

Stones Throw’s finest funky ambassador is having a show to promote his newly released album entitled “Toeachizown”
Among the acts playing are Dam Funk & Master Blazter LIVE , Stones Throw’s owner PB Wolf (VJ Set), RED, Hawthorne Headhunters, Jimi James, Funkmosphere DJs + special guests.

Listen to Dam Funk here and here .

@ The Echo, 1822 Sunset Blvd 90026. 8pm. $10. 18+
More Info .
Ticket link to be posted…

TS2 (aka Temporary Spaces : Volume Two)
4658 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA

On November 20th, Fridays at TS2 kick into high gear with a night of supreme European talent on display. Culprit collaborates with the excellent and like-minded HEAR and invites two guests of note:

ANTHONY COLLINS is a fresh and compelling talent based in Paris, now part of the ever-expanding Freak n’ Chic clan, who have steadily become a leader in the global underground house scene. Anthony is a native Angeleno, raised and groomed in France and now primed for an exciting return and an LA artist debut

SAMMY DEE is the pillar of the German house scene, an integral part of the cult Berlin-based Perlon label, a DJ with nearly 20 years of top level experience. Sammy has been a frequent and impressive guest in LA over the last decade, now making his debut at TS2

$10 before Midnight / $15 After Midnight

( with RSVP to… DROOG.LA@gmail.com )

- – $5 Cocktails until 11pm – -

Awesome Mexican Food All Night

All Ours Entertainment in association with Hillary Bass PR & Robots and Angels present:

WHARF! November 28th, 2009

featuring DJs: Mustafa (aka Harry Knuckles), Wally Callerio, DJ Guido Piotti, Douglas De La Fresca, and Tri

Time: 9pm-sunrise (Open Bar 9-11pm)

Send an email to web@uclaradio[dot]com with ‘WHARF’ in the subject and names in the body for guest list discount ($15)

Following the release of their album “Attack Decay Sustain Release”, SMD has become major figures in the electro house/dance music scene. They are now on tour for their recently released sophomore album “Temporary Pleasures”
They will be playing on November 25th at Club Mayan (1038 S. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90015), show is ALL AGES.

More Info

Tickets (Sorry, had to be ticketmaster, I would buy at the door).

Friday November 20th NY Meets LA @ Vice

$10.00 to get in, $5.00 with UCLA student I.D.

DJ’s Jon Bon and filthy Rich with Jamie Narvaez.

10pm-4am

www.vicehollywood.com

6364 Hollywood Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90028-6309

(323) 462-7827