On Wednesday, April 21, 2010, the only thing that I could think about was sleep. Coachella weekend was the weekend before, I had a midterm on Tuesday, and I had an upcoming retreat the following weekend.  So its not surprising that I nearly forgot that my friend had bought us tickets to see Foxy Shazam at the Troubadour that night.  Alas, I jumped on a few MTA Rapid buses and made it to the Troubadour in time for the show.  What I was expecting – a few hours of good music by some bands I wasn’t really familiar.  What I got – a lineup that crossed over three different spectrum’s of music, a band that had so much energy that it was contagious, and a $25 sweatshirt (worth every penny – it’s extremely comfortable!).  Read more of the review after the jump!

Bad Rabbits

The first opening band, Bad Rabbits, was not what I was expecting.  The band was a mixture of soul, R&B, and hip-hop.  Compared to the rest of the bands that played that night, they were to the far left of the spectrum (as you’ll see).  But that wasn’t a bad thing!  They had great stage presence, dance-y and soulful songs, and even had dances to go with some of the choruses.  It made me think – if the Temptations were a modern band, they would probably be like Bad Rabbits.  Not only does their sound cover the typical hip-hop agenda, but they even carry a more alternative feel on some tracks.  They actually reminded me of the hip-hop/pop-rock group Gym Class Heroes.  Check out their tunes here.  My favorites are “Neverland” “Girl I’m Like Damn” and “Stick Up Kids.”  If you’re still feeling their sound, go ahead and check out their latest album “Stick Up Kids.”

The Young Veins

I will admit, my friend and I bought tickets to the show with the intention of seeing this opener and then leaving.  Why we decided to stay after them?  I’m not entirely sure, but that’s irrelevant right now.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Young Veins, the two well-known members recently left popular pop group, Panic! At the Disco.  That fact may surprise you if you listen to The Young Veins.  Drastically different than Panic, The Yong Veins are clearly going for a more retro-rock sound.  Obvious influences of their music are 60’s bands like The Beatles and The Kinks.  And, I must admit, they pull the sound off well.  Lead singer, Ryan Ross, has the nonchalant voice that those “British invasion” bands gives off.  The audience was obviously liking what they were hearing, and some even knew the bands singles and were singing along.  The band not only carries the sound, but dress and act the part.  All the band members came out dressed in suits, their stage banter resembled a Wes Anderson film, and their favorite instrument is the tambourine.  Needless to say, the Troubadour is a very fitting location for this band.  Check out the bands two singles “Change” and “Young Veins (Die Tonight)” here.  Their debut album drops on June 8, 2010.

Foxy Shazam

After seeing the openers go from a soulful hip-hop group to a retro rock inspired group, I didn’t really know what to expect from the headliners.  As stated before, my friend and I had gone to see the opening band.  But, since so many people were still sticking around, we decided to give this Foxy Shazam band a shot.  Not to mention, their crowd looked very interesting.  It was like a mix of an Of Montreal crowd and a crowd that would go to a hardcore show.  Needless to say, I was confused and curious.  My curiosity was matched.  The six man band packed more energy than the whole Troubadour crowd combined.  First thing I noticed – the lead singer looked a lot like Captain Morgan or Captain Hook – mustache and all.  He moved and acted like his body couldn’t contain the energy.  Seriously.  One moment he’d be singing in one spot on the stage and the next, he was running around and dropping to the floor to do jumping jackets.  From my spot on the floor, the keyboardist of the band was directly in front of me.  Like the lead singer, his energy couldn’t be maintained.  There were points in the songs where he would do aerobics-esque movements on his chair and even more instances in which he jumped on his keyboard and loomed over the crowd.  Other spastic moments included the trumpet player and lead singer tipping an amp over, hearing a story about Foxy Shazam fan Robert Pattinson (apparently, he was at the show), and witnessing the lead singer EAT THREE CIGARETTES.  If anything, go see these guys because of their energetic show.  Check out the video after the review for a taste of their energy.

As for the music, last.fm compares them to artists like Jaguar Love and Neon Blonde.  Their songs have a very rock/pop (but not too pop) sound to them.  The addition of the trumpet adds a slight punk/ska sound to it, but not overwhelmingly so.  The lead singers vocal have a way of conveying his actual stage personality – wavering on the line of crazed and calm.  I highly encourage you to check them out.  Their music is just fun!  Take a listen to some of their tracks here.  Favorites of mine are “Upstoppable” “Wanna-be Angel” and “Count Me Out.”  Their second album, “Foxy Shazam” is out now.

Overall, this was a really great show.  My friend and I had a blast and somehow found ourselves forgetting about our fatigue and feeding off of Foxy Shazam’s energy about halfway through their set.  For a band I had never heard of prior to this show, they were really good!  If they come to Los Angeles for a show in the near future, I most likely will be there.  Hope to see you there, too!

-Aria
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